I´ll always be there
by cristina walters
Summary: Their last year at Hogwarts and James finally gives up on Lily...just when he shoudn't have.
1. Chapter 1

FIRST CLASS

-"Lil! Come on! Hurry up!"

-"I´m going, I´m going!"

Finally Lily made her way down the stairs that led up to the girls´dormitories.

-"What took you so long?"- asked Camila.

She was tall, dark haired and she had amazing blue eyes. She looked at her best friend.

-"Well?"- she demanded.

-"I couldn´t find my potions book."- Lily replied. She hadn´t combed her dark red hair and now she was tying it into a ponytail.

-"Whatever. You know? These days you have been like all weird and you keep on forgetting stuff. You´re not like that. Is there anything wrong?"

"No. I just couldn´t remember I shoved it under my bed last night, that´s all."

"Sure"- But Cami didn´t believe her.

They walked out of the portrait of the fat lady and headed down to the dungeons where they were to have their potions classs. When they got there both Gryffindor and Slytherin 7th year students had entered the room and were already sitting down.

-"Great! Our first class of the year and we´re late. Thanks to you Lily Evans."- said Cami

-"Oh! You´re welcome!"- whispered Lily.

They looked around the room for two places but the only remaining seats wre next to the only person Lily didn´t want to sit with. With a look on her face that could have made anybody believe she had just swalllowed a coakroach she sat next to James Potter. Since her first year at Hogwarts Lily had hated everything about that boy and the fact that he was also in Gryffindor made things much more difficult. Potter was, together with Sirius Black (his best mate), considered the troublemaker of the school. He was also quidditch captain of the Gryffindor team, where he played as seeker, tall, dark haired and funny. This Lily would never admit. The truth was taht she actually thought that sometimes he was funny and she certainly did think that he was handsome but she just couldn´t stand the fact that he thought himself the top of the world.

-"Evans! What a surprise! Our final year at school and you finally decide to sit next to me. I do feel honoured, you know?"

-"Potter, we only just started this school year and you´re already getting on my nerves. You´re beating your own record!"

-"I know! Isn´t it just great?"

-"Sure! Congratulations!"

-"Thanks!"

Lily rolled her eyes. He was just too annoying.

-"So...How was your summer, Evans?"- he asked

-"I´m not going to tell you how my summer went. In fact, I´m not going to tell you a thing. So shut up."

-"Uhhh! Manners, Evans. But ok, I´ll talk to Cam instead."- he looked at Camila-"Hi, Cam! Doing good?"

Cami flushed. Not that she liked James, but...well, he was very good looking and she just went all red when any guy looked at her.

-"Hi."- she replied. Lily looked at her best friend accusingly.-"What? He asks and I answer. What´s wrong with that?"

-"You, that´s what´s wrong"

They both opened their books and turned to page one, but James was not giving up so easily.

-"What did you do this summer, Cam?"

-"Oh! It was great!"

-"Really?"

-"Yeah! Lil and I, we spent most of the summer at my grandparents´, in Scotland"

-"They have a house there?"

-"They live there. In a castle."- said a voice next to James. Sirius Black´s face appeared from behind James and look Camila directly in the eye.

If she had flushed when James had addressed her, now you could fry an egg on her face. That´s how red she was. Everybody in school knew that Camila had a crush on Sirius and Sirius on Camila, but they were both just too proud and arrogant to admit it. That was the reason why Sirius had fooled around with every single (and not so single) girl at school (he was so, so, sooo handsome!) and Camila had been dating a guy for two years now. It was a game they both played and neither of them was going to make the first move.

-"How do you know that?"- she demanded

-"Let me have my secrtes, the same way you have yours."- he replied with a grin on his face

-"Yes...I do have some secrets which, by the way, you´ll never get to know."

-"Of course I will"- he turned to talk to Lupin and left Camila to her own thoughts.

James was looking at Lily who was too concentrated on her reading to notice. He turned to his own book. The minute he did that Lily looked at him out of the corner of her eye. She just couldn´t understand why he had to be so annoying with her. But she was worried, because lately she had started to think about him and she kept on forgetting things and doing stuff like that. Just as if she was falling for him, But it couldn´t be...It just couldn´t happen. She would have to talk to Cami about that. She sighed and went back to her reading.


	2. Chapter 2

STRANGE CONVERSATION 

-"Oh my God! Oh my God!"

-"Shut up, will you? I don't want the whole common room to find out"- whispered Lily.

She had told Cami about the James thinking and Cami was really excited about it.

-"Well hen you guys can go out together!"

-"No"

-"Why not?"- the smile on Camila's face had suddenly disappeared.

-"Because."

-"Because what?"

-"Because, Cami! The fact that I've been thinking lately about him doesn't mean I actually like him."- answered Lily

-"Yeah! Because it is very normal to think all the time about someone you don't like and forget where you left your stuff just because you can't get him out of your head. Yeah! Completely normal."- Cami was smiling while she spoke –"It happens to me all the time. Actually, it happens to everybody all the time."

-"Very funny, Camila Campbell. Really, really funny. Who did you learn to be such a joker from?"

-"James Potter"

Lily gave Cami the worst look ever.

-"Look Lil, if you do like him it's ok, really, and if you don't…well, it's ok too."

-"I don't."

-"Then it's ok."

It was rather late by the time they had finished doing all their homework and the common had practically emptied since most of the students were tired from their first day of school. After some time, Camila had gone to bed claiming to be tired and that she needed some sleep, but Lily knew that she was leaving because Sirius had also left and therefore she had nothing else to do downstairs (she had been staring at him all afternoon and now he had left she could stare no longer). After a while there were only two people left in the common room. One was Lily and the other was, of course, James. He got up and walked up to her. When he threw himself into the armchair next to her she looked up to see who it was, but when she saw it was him she lost all interest and went back to her reading. Since she didn't say a word he decided to be the first one to speak.

-"What's that you're reading?"

-"A book"- she didn't like people speaking to her when she was reading a book

-"That's not a very intelligent answer"- he said with a grin on his face.

-"Yes… because yours was such an intelligent question"- she answered.

James decided to ignore the coldness of her voice and continued speaking.

-"You must really like it. You've been reading all afternoon."

-"You've been me read all afternoon?"

-"Yes."

-"And you say it like that? Without feeling a bit embarrassed?"

-"Yes"

-"You're…insane. You're completely lost."

-"Because of you."

-"Sure."- and she kept on reading, acting as if that little conversation had affected her at all, when really she was feeling rather nervous. James kept on looking at her and after a couple of minutes she looked up again.

-"Excuse me, Potter, for being so extremely rude to you, but don't you have anything else to do?"

-"No"

She glared at him.

-"Go away."

-"Why should I?"

-"Because I'm asking you to"

James smiled. Lily hated him a little more.

-"Evans, Evans. I'm trying to be nice to you, but you're not making things easier for me."

She put down her book.

-"OK. OK. I'll make things easier for you."

-"Thanks"

-"You want some conversation? Is that what you want?"

-"Sure!"

-"Fine, fine!"- she was rather red in the face- "Who's that girl I saw you with today?"

-"What girl?"

-"That blonde girl you were talking to after lunch."

-"Ohhhhhhh! You spy on me, Evans?"

-"Sure! Every minute of every day! Wherever I look, there you are! I can't even get you out of my head!"- all of this was true, of course, but James just thought she was been ironic. Maybe if he hadn't…- "Is she…I don't know…mentally ill or unstable or something?"- Lily said his with a voice that sounded sorry for the girl, as if she really thought that the girl was handicapped or something.

-"She is perfectly normal, thank you!"

-"Sorry, but I thought that since she was talking to you…well…"

-"The fact that you hate me-"

-"Sharp observation, Potter"

-"-doesn't mean that others don't like me."

-"Really?"- Lily's voice now sounded amused.

-"What is wrong with you, Evans?"- James had gotten up and was looking at her from above.

-"If you don't know, I can't tell you."

-"Well I don't know"

-"Well I can't tell you"

And having said this she got up and left to her room, leaving James very confused.


	3. Chapter 3

ABOUT CAMILA AND SIRIUS

ABOUT CAMILA AND SIRIUS

Camila woke with a start. The room was very dark and all she could hear was Maggie Prince snoring. She made such a loud noise! No wonder it had waken her up. She slid of her bed and looked out of the window. It was very dark but if you looked at the sky you could see some red light which announced that the sun was about to come out. She stayed there, just thinking. Thinking about anything that came into her mind: Leon (her older brother), Casandra (her sister), Baco and Tello (her twin brothers), her parents, Campbell Manor, summer at Campbell Manor with Morgana, Megara, Illius and the rest of her cousins, Sirius… Sirius! How could she be thinking about him so early in the morning! She turned round and saw the calendar that was pinned next to Lulu's bed. Wednesday 5th. She gasped when she realised that it had been Phil's birthday two days ago.

Phil was her long time boyfriend. They had started going out together when she was still in her fifth year and they had already been like that for two years. The truth was that she didn't really know why they had lasted so long if she didn't actually love him but she supposed that time had made them come closer and she really couldn't imagine how things would be if they finally broke up. But not because of her, but because of her parents, because they were so proud of her going out with Phil, just because he was born into one of the best wizard families in Great Britain, as they very proudly used to say. Not that they were against the muggle born (they totally adored Lily) but they did like all that noble family nonsense.

She quickly put on her robes and left the dormitory to go look for Pat, her owl. She walked up all the stairs that led to the owlery and went in to see that she wasn't the only one in school who got up so early.

-"Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean to-" she broke off. She had just realised that the other person, the one she was saying sorry to, was no other than Sirius Black.

-"But! Don't stop! One doesn't always receive an apology from Camila Campbell. Actually I was starting to believe that I was still dreaming"- said Sirius. He looked a bit sleepy, but he still looked gorgeous.

-"But that's only because you dream with me every night and so when you see me you can't make the difference between day and night."

-"Nah, I don't think it's that. I think it must be that it has been so long since I last had a nightmare that it was about time I had one"- he turned his back to he, looking for his owl- "And you know, Campbell? At this time of the morning you look a bit like a banshee."

Camila blushed. She knew that, of course, he was lying, but she couldn't stop herself from turning red. He was always trying to embarrass her and annoying her.

-"Who are you sending your letter to?"- he asked. He had finally found Chef and he was tying the note.

-"Black, turn round, look at me and tell me if you really think I'm going to tell you that."

He turned round, looked at her and made his question once again.

-"To Phil. It was his birthday and I completely forgot to write him a letter."

What! She couldn't believe herself. Not only had she told him who that letter was for, but she had also told him why she was sending it. Just as if she was explaining herself for writing to her boyfriend.

-"Phil? That looser you have been dating for… mmm… let's see, two years, three months and… ten days? Is that correct?"

-"You know exactly the time I've been dating my boyfriend? Such is the interest you have in me, Black?"- She wanted it to sound like she didn't care and as if she found it funny, but really she was amazed and nervous.

-"No. I heard Maggie and Lil talking about it last night."

He left the room before she could think of anything else to say.

-"You should eat something, Lil. You look so pale. Haven't you slept tonight, or what?"

-"I have."

-"Well you look-"

Camila stopped talking and turned round to look at the 6th year girls who were sitting next to them in the Great Hall. For the first time in many years they had arrived before anyone to breakfast and she was trying to make Lily eat something. She listened to the two girls.

_-"So… How did it go?"- the one next to Cami was asking a blond girl sitting next to Lily (who hadn't even looked at her bowl of milk)_

_-"Well…"- answered the other one. Cami thought she looked like perfect idiot._

_-"Well what?"- urged the blonde's friend._

_-"Well… Fantastic!"_

_-"Really?"_

_-"Yeah!"- and she started to tell her friend about whatever it was that they both found so fantastic._

Cami turned to Lily who was practically falling asleep over her bowl.

-"You listen to me, now. What is going on with you? Is it about that thing you told me last night about-"

-"Shhh! Will you shut up?"

-"No! Of course I will not shut up! Look at you! You're a complete mess! So you better tell me-"

But once again she broke off because the two girls, who were giggling so hard that they were actually crying.

-"Excuse me."- Camila spoke to them with a sweet but also false voice.

-"Yes?"- the blonde had spoken.

-"We are trying to maintain a conversation over here, so will you just keep it down, please?"

-"Sure."- Nobody ever made Camila angry. It was well known at school that she had a very strong temper and there was no one brave enough to not do what she asked them for. Except for, maybe, Sirius.

But just as she was opening her mouth to talk to Lily she heard something that made her freeze. The blonde had just said "…because he was so sweet, you know? I don't know why people say that Sirius is…"

Camila spun around to face the girl.

-"What did you just say?"- Lily looked up. Cami's voice didn't sound sweet anymore.

-"That I don't understand why-"

-"Yes, yes. That, I heard. But did you say Sirius?"

-"Yes"

-"Sirius Black"

-"Yes"

Camila looked across the table and thought she had just seen Sirius looking at them, but when se looked again he was nowhere to be seen.

-"Have you gone out with him?"

-"I´m not going to tell you if I've gone out with Sirius or not"

-"Oh! Yes you are. Of course you're going to tell me. Have you?"

She looked so intimidating that the girl immediately said yes.

-"Well, let me tell you, blondie, that if you ever get near my boyfriend again, you´ll have me to see to it. Clear?"

-"Ye..ees"

-"Good. Pleasure speaking to you. Bye"

And she got up and left the Great Hall, with Lily behind her. When thy were outside Lily spoke.

-"What was that I just saw in there?"

-"What?"- Camila wanted to sound innocent.

-"Well… The intimidating the poor girl AND… Sirius is not your boyfriend."

-"I know"

-"Then why did you say so?"

-"Because he is my friend and he deserves more than that girl."

-"Really!"

When they got to their classroom a figure stepped out of the queue and faced Cami. It was Sirius. When Lily saw the look on his face she went to meet Maggie and Lulu.

-"Why did you tell Martha all that?"

-"Whose Martha?"

-"The girl you intimidated today at breakfast."

-"You remember her name?"

-"Jealous?"

-"Surprised"

-"You told her that if she ever got near me you would take care of her?"

-"Those were not the exact words, but… basically… yes."

-"That I was your boyfriend?"

-"It was like making your dream come true for a minute"

-"It felt good?"

-"Absolutely"

-"To think you were my girlfriend"

-"No, to think that I had made someone's life happier"

-"You care about happiness?"

-"Yes"

-"Maybe you misunderstood me. People's happiness, not yours."

-"Maybe you misunderstood me. Yes"

-"So you care about me?"

-"Not in your wildest dreams, Black."  
-"Those in which you are a banshee, you mean?"

-"No. Those in which you picture yourself as a human."

They had been so occupied arguing that they had not noticed that they were alone because everybody had gone into the classroom. They didn't stop arguing until Prof. McGonagall came out of the classroom and put them both in detention for being late to her class. Together.


	4. Chapter 4

LUPIN INTERFERES

-"It is so unfair! Really!"- for the last half hour Cami had been raving against Prof McGonagall.

-"Cami, drop it. If she put you into detention it's because you deserve it."- and Lily was already sick of it.

-"Of course I deserve it! But she could've put me into detention alone. All by myself. But not with him! Not with Sirius Black!"

-"Well, you have to go, sooner or later, so better do it soon."

-"You're right. I have to go. OK then, I'll see you later."

-"OK"

Cami took the stairs that led to McGonagall's office and Lily went towards the library, thinking that it was a pity she wouldn't be able to see how that detention ended. She was sure they would start yelling at each other and she was just too sad she wouldn't be able to see it. When she arrived at the library she saw Lulu and Maggie and took a seat next to them.

-"Where's Cam, Lil?"- asked Lulu

-"Detention with McGonagall."

-"Oh! True. She was furious about that, she told me at breakfast today."

Maggie looked up from her astronomy essay. She was a bit fat but she was so nice that she had no enemies and everybody adored her, she was always making people laugh.

-"Well, I wouldn't mind being in detention if it were with Sirius."- she said.

Both Lily and Lulu laughed.

-"Well I don't think Cami shares your opinion, Maggie"- laughed Lulu.- "Mmmm… Look who's here, Lil. I think we're going to have company."

James and Remus had just entered the library and immediately James had seen Lily. But to their surprise he just looked at her and went to sit next to Peter Pettigrew, who looked very concentrated on his essay. He sat with his back to Lily and for the rest of the afternoon didn't look at her. Remus approached them.

-"Hi girls. See you're doing your essays for Marchbanks, right?"- he was always very nice to everybody.

-"Yes. Have you done yours?"- asked Lulu. Everyone thought that they both made the perfect couple and they got on really well with each other, but they had never said or done anything that could make anybody think they fancied each other.

-"Yes."

-"Can I please have a look at it? Please?"- said Maggie.

-"Sure! Peter has it. Go and have a look at it if you want."

-"Thanks."

Lulu and Maggie got up and went over to James and Peter's table. They sat down and started chatting with them. Meanwhile, Remus stared at Lily. He sat down opposite to her and looked into her eyes.

-"How are you, Lil?"- his voice sounded a bit tired but he didn't seem sleepy.

-"Fine, thank you. What about you? Are OK? Because you look a bit pale."

-"I'm OK. It's just that I've been a bit ill these days. That's all."

-"Good"

-"Listen, Lil…-" – he paused. It was as though he didn't know how to express himself-"I'm a bit worried bout James, you know? This morning he got up very early, which is very strange in him and he didn't want to have any breakfast, which is even stranger. I just wanted to know… if… well, if you guys talked last night or something."

-"You mean if I said anything that could've made him act like this?"

-"More or less."

Lily looked over at James who was laughing at something Maggie had just said.

-"He looks perfectly normal to me"

-"Lil, you know how much he likes you and how much everything you say or do affects him."

-"What?"- Now it was Lily's turn to be all pale- "You said he likes me? You said that James Potter likes me?"

-"Come on, Lil! You are not going to tell me you had no idea, right?"- Lupin was smiling, but when he saw that Lily was not being ironic his smile faded.- "You never realised he likes you?"

-"No… I always thought that he was only trying to annoy me, but I never… I didn't…"- she didn't finish her sentence.

It was true that James had asked her out on many occasions, but she had always thought that he just did it because he used to do it with every girl. But know that Lupin had told her that, things looked so much more different.

-"Yes. We did talk last night."- she admitted.

-"And did you say anything that could've made him lose all interest in two of his favourite hobbies?"

-"Which are?"

-"Eating and sleeping, of course!"

Lily smiled. She knew how much Lupin cared for his friends and she was sure that by being so cold to James, she was also making Lupin, Sirius and Peter feel worse.

-"Look, Lil. I know I'm nobody to tell you how you should treat James, but I really think that things would be easier for everybody if you tried to understand him and be nice to him."- he paused for a minute and then continued.-"So will you try next time?"- he smiled

-"Shall I consider it as a special favour to you?"

-"Absolutely! And you can ask me for anything in return!"

Lily smiled.

-"I was just joking, Remus."- she looked at him.-"Look, I promise I'll be nice to Potter next time we talk…if you promise you'll stop being a fool and you ask Lulu out on our next trip to Hogsmeade."

Lupin blushed.

-"Ermm…I have to…er…go to…er…see you, Lil"

And he left. Maggie and Lulu returned from the other table and sat down to finish their essays before dinner time. Lily got hers and started to write, but her mind was not on Jupiter or Venus or any stars. She just couldn't stop thinking about anything Remus had just told her. She looked up towards James and saw him talking with the blonde girl she had seen him the day before. She couldn't say why, but she felt…strange.

She shook her head to get all those thoughts put of her mind, wondered how Camila would be doing at that very moment in her detention with Black, and got back to her scribbling.


	5. Chapter 5

DETENTION

They had already been organising the transformations classroom for an hour when Sirius spoke:

-"And are you going to tell me why you said all that?"

-"I would if speaking to you didn´t make me want to puke."- Camila didn´t even look up.

-"Excuse me, but that is very rude, Campbell"- she still didn´t look up, but she was sure he was smiling and that made her feel sick.- "I was just trying to be a gentleman and sort things out between us."

-"Ha!"- Camila laughed-"Since when do you care that 'things between us' aren´t ok?"-she looked at him and saw that, of course, he was smiling."And by the way, there is no us."

-"I never wanted there to be an us."

They both returned to their worked, throwing furtive looks at each other when they thought that the other one wasn´t looking.

-"I told her that because-"- Camila started.

-"Ah! I thought you were not speaking to me, Campbell"

Camila felt her face grow red. She hated him, and every day she hated him even more. Why did he always have to have the last word?

-"Sorry, but I have made a great effort to try and start a conversation with you so don´t interrupt me."

-"Why? Don´t you normally have conversations with intelligent people? Am I too smart for you to keep up in conversation with me?"

Cami let out a groan, although she knew that that would give Sirius one more reason to smile.

-"Black, if you ever grow up, please let me know."- she was now furious, with him and with herself, for letting herself get angry with anything Sirius said.

-"I don´t intend to grow up, Campbell. Life is too good this way."

Another hour went by, putting things here and there and organising all the desks so that they would all be in a row and not in zigzag. Prof McGonagall came in half an hour later and looked ariund the room.

-"OK. Mr Black, Miss Campbell. Thank you very much for your help. You can now return to your common room."- and she went back to what she had been doing before.

Camila and Sirius collected their things and left for the tower where the common room was. On the way back they passed many students who looked at them. Cami knew exactly what they were all thinking, specially the girls, and she wanted to shout to all of them that there was nothing going on between Sirius and her. But, obviously, it would have been a very stupid thing to do, and after all she didn´t really believe that they were all expected them to be together.

When they got to the common room they found out that everybody had gone to dinner, except for some first years, who were sitting by the fire, finishing their homework. Camila was about to start climbing the stairs that led to her room when Sirius spoke behind her.

-"Campbell, are you going to tell me why you told Martha all that?"

-"Black, if it really has affected you don´t worry, there are plenty of girls you can find comfort in."- she turned to face him. It was now his turn to look angry.

-"What do you think I am? Do you really see me as someone who doesn´t give a thing about other´s feelings?"- Cami had never seen him so angry, and by the look on the first years´faces neither had they.-"Let me tell you, Campbell, that I´m perfectly capable of caring about others."

-"Well sorry, but that is not the impression you´ve been giving for the last seven years, Black. And don´t you raise your voice and shout like that at me!"

-"I´ll shout as much as I want, thank you!"- by then, the first years were looking so scared that they both lowered a bit their voices.-"You are going to tell me why you told her all that, wether you like it or not"

-"I´ll do whatever I feel like doing and certainly it´s not doing what you want me to do!"

-"I´m waiting for an answer!"

-"Well you better sit down while you wait because otherwise you´ll get too tired!"

-"Campbell! Why did you tell her all that!"

-"Because I felt like saying all that stuff!"- she was very angry with herself. She always ended up telling him what he was asking for.

-"Because you felt that stuff?"- he wasn´t shouting any more, but he still looked a bit angry.

-"No. Because I wanted her away."- she wasn´t shouting either.

-"And why is that?"

-"Because I want to make your life miserable."

-"You really thought that she makes my life happier?"- he laughed-"Campbell, this shows how little you know of me. I don´t care about her, but I don´t want anybody hurting her if I can avoid it."

-"Hurt because of you?"-now it was her turn to laugh-"That is a bit conceited, Balck."

-"No, that is just the truth."

And he was right, and she knew that he was right and it made her blood boil.

-"You realise that everything we do is argue?"- she sounded calm, even amused.

-"That´s not true. We also tidy up the transformations classroom."

She laughed. Now that the first years were sure they weren´t going to start shouting for the moment they grabbed their things and left the common room. So now it was only Camila and Sirius, face to face.

-"I´m sorry I told her that."

He looked up, not believing his own ears.

-"Is that an apology?"

-"I think it is."- she smiled at his surprised face.

-"A real apology?"

-"Yes."

They looked at each other. There was no signs of the fight they had just had, only them, and the moonlight that was coming through the open window. They stared into each others eyes, they were coming closer. Cami knew it couldn´t happen. It just couldn´t, it would totally ruin everything. But now they were closer, she could see her own eyes reflected in Sirius´eyes. And then...

-"Sleep tight, Campbell. Tomorrow is going to be a hard day. Double potions." And he left to his room, smiling as he passed her.

She couldn´t believe what had just happened. How she hated him! But she was going to get him back for this one, she still didnt know how, but he was going to pay for that one. And with angry tears in her eyes she went to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

JAMES GIVES UP

-"Hi."

Lily sat down and looked at the boy she had just said hi to. He was looking a bit tired, not to say surprised.

-"Anything wrong, Evans? Did I… make too much noise this morning, or did I interrupt you, or did I just annoy you with my presence?"- he wasn't smiling, like it usually happened when they talked.-"Tell me, what is it this time?"

Lily stared at him. At first she thought he was joking. He had to be! But then she realised that he wasn't and that he really meant what he was saying.

-"Potter, I was just-"

-"What?"

-"I was just trying to be nice."- she was all red.

-"Yeah! Of course! Since when are you nice to me, Evans?"- now he was not looking at her, but deciding what he was going to have for breakfast.

-"Since… since…"

-"Yes?"

Lily looked round and saw that some girls were looking at her. When they noticed she was looking they looked another way and started to gossip. She could perfectly imagine what they were saying, but she just didn't care.

-"Look Evans, I'm sorry if I've done anything that has annoyed you, OK?"-he got up to leave.

-"But-"- she realised she didn't want him to go.

-"I'll see you around. Bye."

He left and Lily saw he was meeting the blonde girl of the day before. She looked so perfectly stupid. She knew she wasn't being fair, but she didn't care. She wanted to not watch what they were doing, but she couldn't stop. And then she lost her breath. James Potter had just kissed the girl. There. In the middle of the Great Hall. In front of the whole school. The bunch of gossiping girls turned round to look at Lily, who changed her expression from surprised to indifference, although not quickly enough. With one last glance at her, James put his arm over the girl's shoulders and they both left the Great Hall. At that same time Cami, Maggie and Lulu were making their entrance in the Great Hall and they all looked at James and at the girl.

When they sat down Cami whistled.

-"Did you see that?"

-"Yes. And don't do that. It is so… boyish."- said Lily.

-"What? Whistle?"

-"Yes."

Lulu was still looking at the door where the other two had just disappeared. Maggie was already eating.

-"Who was she?"- she asked

-"Don't know"- said Cami

-"Me neither. And I'm not very interested in finding it out."- replied Lily.

Both Cami and Lulu looked at her, because her voice had sounded very cold.

-"Gloria Foley."

The three of them turned round to look at Maggie, who was too occupied choosing what she was going to eat next.

-"Excuse me?"- Lulu couldn't imagine someone knowing a piece of gossip that she didn't know, not even her best friend.

-"Gloria Foley. Gryffindor, she's in fifth."

The other three stared at her. She continued.

-"Yeah! She's been in love with James for such a long time! I'm surprised you girls did not know about that, at least Lulu."-she helped herself to a chocolate muffin-"I'm not quite sure when they started going out together, but I'm pretty sure it was at the end of last year."

-"Why didn't you tell me?"- Lulu's voice sounded hurt.

-"Honestly? I thought you already knew!"

Cami let out a laugh.

-"Well! I wouldn't like to be that girl at all!"

-"Well I wouldn't mind at all."- this was Maggie talking, with her mouth full of the chocolate muffin she had just picked out of the basket.-"You should've seen them the other day."

-"What happened the other day?"- Lulu's face showed she was thirsty of information about this new couple.

Maggie poured some juice into her cup and started speaking.

-"You want some orange juice, Lil? No? OK."-she drank a bit and continued-"Well I was going back to the common room, you know? The day that I had had detention with Slughorn-"

-"The day you spilled all your potion on top of Cabot's head?"-Cami was laughing

-"Yes."-Maggie smiled.-"Remember? It was great! Anyway, I was going back to the common room and I saw them, I don't really remember where exactly, but I saw them. There they were talking. And….wow! You should have heard the things he was telling her. I wouldn't mind anybody saying that to me, and James Potter!"

-"They didn't stop talking when they saw you?"-asked Lulu.

-"Well… The thing is they didn't exactly see me."-she was all red.

-"You were eavesdropping?"-Lulu asked accusingly.

-"Don't say it like that! That's exactly what you always do!"-said Maggie.

-"What was he saying anyway?"-said Camila before her two friends started arguing.

-"Well… Something about… I don't really remember, but she was crying and so he was like hugging her, you know? And then he started telling her something to the effect that he really liked her and that there was nobody that was going to change that, and that"-she paused, looked at her friends and said-"he loved her."

-"James Potter?"-Cami didn't believe her.

-"Yes."

-"James Potter said he loved her?"-she still wouldn't believe it.

-"Yes"

-"No."-and she would not believe her. Never.

-"Yes. Ad then he kissed her. You should have seen that. It was…It was-"

-"Enough, OK?"- Lily had gotten up and was looking at her friends.

-"Lil, what's wrong?"-asked Camila.

-"I don't understand why you guys find all that rubbish so interesting. It's Potter you're talking about! Since when do you care about what he does?"

And she stormed out of the Great Hall. She run up the stairs, all the way to the common room, and tears started to roll down her cheeks. Why? It couldn't be happening. Why had she gotten so upset with all that that Maggie had just told them? Since when did she care what Potter was up to?

She gave the fat lady the password and went through the portrait hole. She went to her room and sat on her bed, just crying. A few minutes later Cami came in.

-"What's up, Lil?"

-"Oh. Hi"- she said. Her eyes were all puffy and swollen.

-"What… What happened down there?"

-"I don't know, Cami."-she started crying again.-"I don't know. When Maggie started to say all that…I…I felt…"-she didn't end her sentence.

Camila sat down next to her and hugged her.

-"Guess someone's falling for somebody…"-said Camila.

-"No!"-Lily jumped off the bed.-"No! That cannot happen, and it won't happen."

Camila got up and went towards the door. When she got there she turned towards Lily.

-"Lil, listen, the sooner you admit what is happening… The better. See you downstairs."

And she left the room, leaving Lily crying and wondering whether what her best friend had just said was true and what she was going to do about it if it were true.


	7. Chapter 7

NEWT´S 

-"Take a seat, please!"-McGonagall´s voice sounded somewhat tired-"I want you all to choose a partner so we can practise today something special you need to know in order to pass your NEWT this year."

Everybody partnered themselves up and Prof. McGonagall made her way through the room deciding whether she liked how her students were going to work. She stopped when she reached James and Sirius.

-"You certainly are trying to make me laugh, aren't you, gentleman?"-she asked with a surprised voice.

-"No, professor."-answered Sirius.

-"You mean to say you are planning on practising this transformation together?"

-"Yes, professor."-now it was James who answered.

-"And when, may I ask, did you think that you would be able to persuade me that this was a good idea?"-her voice was still amused.

-"When you told us to get into pairs."-answered Sirius.

-"I suppose you also realised that this would end you up in detention, Mr Black?"

-"Pairing up with James?"

-"No, answering back in such a cheeky way. Saturday morning, ten o'clock, my office."

At this point Camila couldn't hold herself any longer and burst out laughing. McGonagall turned to face her and stared at her. She said

-"Yes, Miss Campbell, it is funny, you see? Because now I need someone to pair up with Mr Black, and let me say that you are the person I was thinking of."

-"But I-"-Camila could not believe this was happening to her.

-"And therefore Miss Evans will have to pair up with Mr Potter"-she looked at Lily, giving her a look which clearly meant 'I'm sorry'.-"And now that everything is done, and if Maggie Prince and Lucia Graham will shut up, you may begin."

Prof. McGonagall had to leave the room for a minute because some second year from Gryffindor had entered the Forbidden Forest and as head of house she had to go and see. On one end of the room Sirius walked up to the window and started to look out of it. Camila followed.

-"Ermm… I don't know about you, and really I couldn't care less, but I would really like to pass my NEWT this year so if you wouldn't mind I'd rather we would practise."

Sirius didn't even look at her, but just said:

-"So… How did you sleep last night Campbell?"

Camila flushed. She had been all night thinking about what had happened in the common room and how Black had played.

-"Fine, thank you. Now can we please start before McGonagall is here?"

-"Really?"-he asked.

-"Really what, Black?"-she sounded rather annoyed-"Really if I slept well last night or really if I want to start before the teacher comes in, sees we're not doing anything and puts us again in detention? Really what?"

-"Really if-"-he started.

-"Listen, Black. I don't care if you don't want to grow up, study and get a life, OK? But I do. And if I want to become someone I have to pass my NEWT ´s this year and if I don't practise this thing we're supposed to be doing I will not pass."-Sirius thought she looked very angry, and he was the only person who knew that, really, he wasn't able to face Camila when she was that angry.

-"Campbell, take it easy. I-"-he said.

-"Take it easy? Take it easy?"-she walked closer to him-"Sirius Black"-she said very low and slow so that only he could hear it-"I swear that if you don't get up to practise this spell I will hunt you down and make sure you never forget my face, get it?"

-"Got it."

-"Good."

Several students were looking at them over their shoulders. Sirius got up and followed her to the other side of the classroom. Camila snapped at a Hufflepuff student who was staring at them both as if she was watching a film and then she turned to face Sirius once more. He took a step back when she looked at him. She didn't look very happy.

-"Why?"-she asked

-"Why what, Campbell?"-he answered

-"Why do you always have to-"-but she didn't finish her sentence because on the other side of the room Lily and James were yelling at each other.

Now it was them that everybody was looking at and the same girl that Cami had just yelled at was now gossiping with her friend about James and Lily. Sirius and Camila both went to where their friends were arguing and on her way Cami told the Hufflepuff girl to get a life if hers was so boring she had to gossip about others. She thought she saw Sirius smile, but she was not sure about that. The only thing she was sure about was that the other two would end up very badly if they didn't stop screaming and for what she was seeing they didn't show any signs of stopping.


	8. Chapter 8

TO JAMES OR NOT TO JAMES

The door to the girls dormitories flew open and Lily Evans walked into the room. Three pairs of eyes were looking at her from her bed while she stood in the doorway. Her three friends waited for her to say something (she had being missing all day, since McGonagall had put both James Potter and her in detention for making a "love scene" as she had put it, in her class), but as it seemed that nobody was prepeared to say a word, Camila decided to start.

-"Welcome back, stranger. You´ve been on the run for about eight hours. You could have at least told us where you were and we could have gone to bed without worrying for you."

-"Sorry...I...I needed to be alone for a bit"-she answered

Maggie thought that now that her friend was back she could perfectly go to bed and so, excusing herself and saying that it had been a very hard day, she got up and walked over to her bed. In just two minutes she was snoring and probably dreaming.

-"It´s incredible! How does she do it?"-Lulu was staring in amazement at her friend-"This summer we were in a shop, really noisy, and I went to try on a vest, you know? And when I came out...She was sleeping on a couch!"

-"Well, she is right. It´s been a hard day, too much work, so I guess that bthe minute we get into bed we´ll find it as easy as her to fall asleep."- said Cami.

-"Then I´m going to bed too. I can´t keep my eyes open for one more second."-replied Lucia-"Goodnight girls"

Lily walked over to her bed and she climbed in next to her best friend.

-"Are you going to tell me what all that was about or you prefer to do it another day?"-asked Camila

-"I don´t know. But I can´t stop thinking about what Maggs said, about that girl and James going out. I can´t get him out of my head."

-"yeah, well, that´s what usually happens when you´re into someone, you know?"

-"What! Cam... I... I don´t like James Potter at all! He is.. he is, arrogant and conceited and..."- Lily cut off. She didn´t know what else she could say.

-"And what, Lil? Listen, the sooner you admit what´s going on in your head and the sooner you sort out your feelings towards him... the better. For you and for us."

Camila got our of Lily´s bed and walked over to her own. She was getting in when Lily spoke again.

-"But what if he really likes that girl and he doesn´t like me anymore? What if I have really messed things up and now he hates me? What if-"

"Lil"-Camila interrupted her-"Stop talking rubbish and get to sleep. And you should give all this a thought. If tomorrow morning you still feel that way, well... I guess you should talk to him."

Lily stared at the ceiling thinking about everything that had happened lately and trying to sort her feelings out, as Cami had told her to do. Out of the dark Cami spoke

-"by the way, the headmaster told us today about an event that´s taking place this Christmas. A ball... Snowball or some crap like that. I don´t know. Just make sure you get a dress or whatever for Christmas eve"- And she fell asleep.

A ball? A Christmas ball? Lily started to think about that, and immediately her thoughts drifted towards James: Would he go with that girl? She decided to try and make things up with James and thinking of a plan to win him back she fell asleep too.


	9. Chapter 9

THE PLAN

-"OK girls, here's what we'll do."

Our four girls were sitting in the Great Hall. It was breakfast time and everybody was getting ready for the first class of the day. Maggie, Lucia, Camila and Lily were working on a plan that would make James dump the other girl and fall for Lily once more.

That morning, while the four of them were getting dressed, Lily had told the girls that she had realised she liked Potter. "You love him?" had asked Maggie. "Well Maggs, to love someone is a very strong feeling and to say it is a very big thing." had answered Lulu, who then immediately turned to face Lily and said "You love him?" Lily told them that she had to find out yet and that they would have to help her. Maggie and Lulu left deep in conversation wether you could love somebody without knowing him. Camila just stayed there smiling at her friend and with one "I knew it" she followed Maggie and Lucia down the stairs and to the Great Hall.

Now they were discussing the best way to do it. Camila spoke.

-"We have to come up with the perfect plan. Now that Lily has finally realised she likes James, one thing we've known all along-"

-"One thing everybody's known all along, you mean."-said Lulu.

-"Exactly. Something everybody's always known. Except for her. Because, I mean, it was so really clear-"

-"Excuse me… Can we just focus on the plan?"-interrupted Lily.

-"Anyway"-continued Camila-"We have to make James realise that it's Lily the one he wants and not that stupid little girl. Easy."

Maggie snorted. The other three girls turned round to look at her and they found her spreading some butter on her slice of bread. They all thought she seemed quite concentrated on that task.

-"Yeah! Easy! Whatever! After six years of following her and her not wanting anything to do with him, he is going to come back just because that's what she wants now. Ha! I would definitely tell to go you know where if I were James. After all, six years is a lot of wasted time. And then-"-she looked up from her slice of bread.

The other three were looking at her. Speechless.

-"Did I say that out loud?"

Speechless with laughter.

In the end they decided that the best plan was to make James and Gloria brake up. It was either that or Lily had to be extremely nice to James and given that she lost her temper very easily and that he didn't want to speak to her for the time being, they all decided that the first plan was better. Besides, they all thought it was far more interesting and fun.

The Great Hall was nearly empty by the time they had come up with the first step towards success and the few people left were just a bunch of girls talking and giggling about the Christmas ball.

-"So… Who are you girls going to the ball with?"-asked Lulu.

-"No idea."-said Lily

-"Don't know yet."-answered Cam

-"Andrew McQueen"-said Maggie.

Once more the girls turned to look at her just in time to see her putting some biscuits into her bag.

-"I get really hungry at 11 o'clock"

And having said that she got up and left to her herbology class.

-"Did you know something about that?"-was he question the three of them made at the same time. And "no" was the same answer they gave to each other.

-"My best friend has a date for the ball and she doesn´t even tell me. That is… Too much!"-Lulu could hardly believe it.-"I'm going right now to look for her and she is going to tell me every detail!"-she sighed-"Anyway girls, I'll see you later. This girl is driving me crazy these days. I don't know what got into her."

She put her timetable into her bag and left.

Cami and Lily stayed a bit longer just talking about the ball and then Lily left to the library to finish a piece of homework she had to give in later. Camila didn't have class until one hour later so she decided to go up to the common room and write a few letters.

She picked up her things and was getting up when Sirius came into the Great Hall. She stopped getting up and sat down again. She knew it was because he was going to walk up to her and she wanted to stay there. And she hated herself for it.

But just when she was about to open her mouth and say something very intelligent she saw Sirius stopped half way through the table and sat next to the blonde girl she had talked to the other day. Maybe it would have been Ok and she would not have cared if he had just done that, but the thing is that once he has sat he turned his head roend, looked at Camila and winked.

With anger flowing through every bit of her body Camila got up and left. On her way to the door she "accidentally" hit Sirius on the head with her bag.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

The library was in silence and there were a few students working there. Lily entered and went over to her favourite table, one at the end of the library and next to a big window from were you could see the lake and the snowed mountains. When she reached the table she saw that it was already occupied by… James Potter! She went really red and she could have sworn that her heart had stopped beating for one whole second. She was about to turn round and go and look for another table when he spoke:

-"You want to sit here?"

Lily couldn't even think.

-"Er… no, well…yes, but don't, don't worry. I'll look for…err… another table."

-"Don't you worry. We can both work here."-he smiled.

What was happening to her! She had always been icewoman with James and now she couldn't even talk like a normal person. She thought she was so lame…But she sat down

-"Look Lily, I wanted to apologize for the other day, you know…in McGonagall's class."

Lily looked up. She knew she should be the one apologizing. And she knew James knew it. But there he was, saying he was sorry.

-"Oh! No… I should be the one to apologize."

After that they had the best conversation ever. Laughing and talking about many things. Lily couldn't believe how nice he was and James couldn't understand how amazing she was. They stayed there until it was time for Lily's first class. She left with a huge smile on her face.

The plan was on.


	10. Chapter 10

THE YOUNG LADY AND THE GENTLEMAN

The common room was empty. Everybody had gone to bed and the only sound that could be heard was that one made by the fire.

A week had gone past since Lily and James had had their amazing conversation in the library. Since then they had both been very nice with one another and there had been no more rows and arguments between them. So you could say that now they got on perfectly well with each other, although really they didn't talk much so they couldn't fight much after all. As for the rest of the students…ball-fever(as teachers used to call it)had spread all over the place. You could find giggling girls around every corner and boys were starting to think that women were far more complicated and difficult to understand than what they had thought in the first place. It was only five days till the "IT day" named like that by the gryffindor students after Lulu had said to her friends one afternoon in the common room: "You don't understand the importance of the day. It's the day, it's the moment…It's the…IT. You just don't get it." Only her friends were meant to hear that comment she had just made, but she was so ecstatic that she practically screamed it across the room and everybody there heard her. Since then it was no longer referred to as "the Christmas-ball" but as "the IT day". Nearly every girl in school had been asked to the ball by now, others hadn't and others just kept on turning down boys who summoned up all their courage to ask them. This was what happened with Camila. Some thought she was just too arrogant to go out with any of the guys that asked her and others thought that really her boyfriend was going to appear in school for the "IT day". But the one person who knew her well was sure that there was only one person to whom she would say yes to and it was all around Hogwarts that Sirius Black was going with a girl called Martha so Lily was pretty sure that Camila was planning on going by herself and having a good time both laughing with her friends and making Martha's life miserable. Lily had said yes to Nick Weston, an absolutely gorgeous guy from Ravenclaw. They had gone out on several occasions so it didn't come as a surprise to her friends when she told them he had finally asked her to the ball. What did come as a surprise to everybody was the fact that Remus Lupin had asked Lulu to be his partner. As she very proudly told her friends: "He even had the sense of humour of asking me not to the ball but to the IT. How could I say no to that?"

There was a sound coming from the stairs that led up to the girls' dormitories and a shadow started to come down. Two seconds later the figure of Camila Campbell appeared. Just as she was about to set foot in the common room a voice spoke from the darkness.

-"It's not time for a young lady to be down here and not in bed."

Camila nearly fell to the floor as she had been about to miss the last step. Not only had the voice scared her but her heart had missed one beat when she had identified the voice.

-"Then what are you doing down here too?"- she answered back.

Sirius Black laughed and got up. He just stood there, looking at Camila and deep inside admiring how pretty she was.

-"Shall I consider that an intelligent answer?"-he said.

-"Well… You may consider it an intelligent observation."-she replied

He laughed again and Camila blushed. Why did he always have to make her feel so…little? Every time they argued he made her feel like she was 13 and that was something she could not stand. He spoke again

-"You will have to excuse me but I will have to disagree."

-"Really?"

-"Yeah."

-"And why is that if, of course, I may know the answer."

-"Oh! Of course! It can't be an observation because you can't observe I'm a young lady. Since I'm not."-he added

-"Well your attitude towards many things makes me doubt it."

-"Really?"

-"Yeah."

He grinned.

-"Well I have no problem in making you doubtless."

He walked up to her until he was only one inch away from her face. Camila thought about how lucky she was at that moment that all the light they had was coming from the fire and therefore he could not see her face because she was sure he would have never seen such a red face. Despite the effort it required she managed to speak. To whisper rather…

-"That is so…so…You know? You may not be a young lady, but you're definitely not a gentleman either."

-"And that comes as a surprise to you?"

And without any warning he put his hand on her waist, drew her closer and kissed her full on the mouth. She knew she had to stop it. She knew she must have told him to go and look for his girlfriend. She knew she could have even slapped him. She knew all that and much more, but she just let the minutes go by…


	11. Chapter 11

ANOTHER DETENTION

Camila heard someone whispering next to her, but she could not make out what they were saying. Little by little it became clear to her thet it was actually her name that was being whispered next to her and...

She opened her eyes.

She was in the Great Hall, sitting at the Gryffindor table, where she had fallen asleep with her head between her arms while her friends had their lunch. It was Lily who was calling out her name trying to wake her up. She put her head up and looked at Lily.

- "You know? One thing is falling asleep in history class, which is extremely boring, but here, in the Great Hall with all the noise!" – said Lily – "Where were you, anyway?"

- "What?" – Camila looked quite lost.

- "Last night! I heard you get up and leave and then you came up really late. Where were you?" – she asked.

- "Nowhere."

Lily raised her eyebrows.

- "OK. But by the look on your face it looks like you're still..." – she paused and then said – "Nowhere."

She packed her things and got up.

- "I'll see you later girls. Better be on time for McGonagall's detention."

Maggie and Lulu looked at her.

- "Is the plan still on?" – asked the first.

- "Sure! So wish me luck!" – answered Lily as she left.

- "You know? Even if Lily is our friend I would absolutely choose her over Gloria." – said Maggie.

- "Yeah, well...That is what james used to think until he gave up on her." – Lulu got up and took her bag from under the table.

- "Well I don't think he has really given up on her." – Maggie also got up.

- "Then why was he telling that Foley girl that he loved her?" – asked Lulu.

-"Maybe..." – Maggie gave her answer a thought. Then, with a wide smile, said – "Maybe he's trying to forget Lil with another girl. And telling her that he loves her is just...well, just a way to convince himself he can get over Lil!"

Lulu looked at her bet friend and sighed.

- " I think you've read too many stories." – she turne to Camila – "Coming?"

Camila, who had being string blankly ahead looked at her and shook her head.

- "No, go ahead. I'm going to eat something. I'll see you upstairs as soon as I finish."

- "OK. See you."

- "Bye Cami."

And they both left for the common room.

Camila put some meatpie onto her plate and stared at it. She wasn't exactly sure why she hadn't told the girls about last night, or at least Lily, given that she was her best friend and that they told each other everything. Maybe, she thought, it was because she hadn't still taken in what had happened.

After several minutes and with a big effort she had pulled herself away from Sirius. "What's wrong?" he had asked. "This is wrong, Black!" she had managed to say. "And what?" "And what? And what?! Well... I have a boyfriend, you know? And...and...this is so wrong!" she had replied, unable to find anymore reasons. "Sometimes, if not always, wrong things feel good, Campbell." "And does this feel good to you, Black?" He had grinned, given her one soft, long kiss on the lips and whispered "the best". And then he was gone, leaving her to her own thoughts and unable to sleep.

Today she had seen him in class, but he hadn't even looked up when she had walked passed him, or at least that is what she thought, and she couldn't stop thinking about what he had said, the "the best" thing.

She heard a girl laughing at the other end of the table and she turned her head to look at her. Her eart missed one beat when she saw it was that blonde girl, Martha, who was laughing at something Sirius was saying. She didn't understand why she was starting to feel angry. Something like jealous, but it couldn't possibly be, she tought. After all, she wasn't the one who had started it the night before, she was the one who had said it was all wrong and, she reminded herself, she had a boyfriend. Smiling at the thought that Martha wasn't even Sirius's girlfriend she got up and left, passing right in front of Sirius on her way out just so he saw her walk away.

Lily walked down the corridors thinking that maybe all those feelings she had been having lately for James were nothing and that she had mistaken them for something else. She arrived at McGonagall's door and was about to knock when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned round and saw James Potter walking towards her. He smiled as soon as he saw her, just liked every time and Lily felt something inside her leap.

- "In time, Potter! How does it feel?"

James looked at her and his smile faded.

- "Are you going to start on me already, Evans?"

- "No!" – Lily looked shocked. She had just wanted to start some conversation with him and she had being smiling when she had said it. – "I...forget it, let's get over with this."

They knocked on the door and once they were in MaGonagall told them they would be finishing what Sirius and Camila had started before them.

- "For how long? – asked James.

- "For as long as I want, Mr.Potter."

And she left.

One hour had gone by and there had been little conversation between them when suddenly James spoke

- "Is it true you're going with that Weston guy to the ball?"

Lily turned round and looked at him. She couldn't really make out what he was thinking.

- "Yes."

James turned his back on her, but spoke again

- "You really shouldn't, he's not a good guy."

- "Really? Why?"

Lily sounded amused so James turned to look at her. They were not very far from each other.

- "For nothing. I just know. You should keep away from him."

- "I'll just keep an eye on him."

- "Fine."

They continued with their duty and then it was Lily who spoke

- "You're going with...em...is it Gloria?"

- "Yeah."

She waited for him to say something else and as he didn't she continued to speak

- "You're going out with her?"

James laughed.

- "Are we friends now, Evans?"

Lily thought about it and realised she didn't just want to be friends with James, but that friends was a good start.

- "Sure." – she smiled at him.

James gave her one suspicious look and then smiled.

- "Fine. I'll tell you about her."

- "Good."

They left what they were doing and sat one in front of the other, both on top a table.

- "I'm not really going out with her. Well...yes I am, but we just started so..."

- "Is she nice?" – she wasn't sure she wanted to listen to it, but she asked nonetheless.

- "Great. She's intelligent and funny and pretty." – he sounded sure about what he was saying, but he was looking at Lily as if it was the last time he was seeing her.

- "Have you felt that way for a long time?" – she knew she shouldn't be asking, but still...

- "No. There was someone before her."

Lily's heart started beating faster.

- "Who?"

- "Just a girl. I thought her perfect, but it turned out she wasn't the person I thought after all."

- "What happened?"

- "I gave up on her a long time ago." – he looked sad.

- "You shoudn't have."

- "Too late"

Lily was going to make a move towards him, but then she stopped herself. James jumped off the table.

- "We should get back to this before McGonagall comes back. I wouldn't like to spend another afternoon in detention."

- "Yeah, of course."

She got off the table too and realising that their conversation was over she went back to what she had being doing right before they had started talking, but with the difference that now she felt something realling heavy inside her chest.


	12. Chapter 12

BEFORE THE BALL

It was only two days until the IT day and the teachers were starting to regret the day they came up with the idea. All the girls were out of their minds and concentration during classes was very poor. "Think about toyur NEWT's!" the teachers used to say, but it was useless. It was ball-fever all over the place and, due to the excitement, a few girls had been shipped off to see Mme. Pomfrey.

- "Can you believe that?" – had asked Lulu – "I mean, I'm excited about the IT day too, but I don't set my head on fire trying to curl my hair!"

- "Who did that?" – Lily looked alarmed.

- "Erika Baxter. I heard they had to evacuate the Hufflepuff common room because of all the smoke coming from her hair." – she replied.

- "She has never been very intelligent." – Camila has stopped writing her essay and had joined the conversation – "Remember two years ago in herbology class?"

- "You mean when Kara Madden told her that the tokyushu plant had magical properties and made your hair grow if you ate it?" – laughed Lulu.

- "Yes! I had forgotten it had been Kara the one who told her."

- "It served her right, for being so conceited." – Maggie was still writing her essay, but she gave her opinion on the subject while doing it – "Looks like that girl has something special with hair."

It was a very cold day two days after James and Lily's detention and the four girl were sitting in the common room doing their homework. The room was packed with Gryffindor students talking and working and it was quite difficult to concentrate so they all gave up on their homework, except for Maggie who had been talking all afternoon to her cousin who was in 5th grade and now she had to catch up on the others.

Camila had finally told Lily about the kissing Sirius and Lily had told had told Camila about her conversation with James when they had both been in detention. She was expecting her friend would tell her that it wasn't all lost and that she would be able to win James back, but that was not what Camila had to say.

- "Lil...the boy's been trying to go out with you for several years now without success. What really surprises me is that with all his arrogance and pride he didn't stop making a fool of himself before!"

Lily, wanting to hear the oppsosite, had then turned her hopes on Maggie who, she thought, was a romantic soul who always saw the happy ending ahead. But Maggie, despite what she had told Lulu about James not really giving up on Lily, wasn't so sure this time. However she told Lily she would talk to her cousin who was in Gloria's class and try to find out more things about Potter's new girlfriend.

So while Maggie continued to write down all the ingredients for a veritaserum potion the other three girls continued their conversation on how stupid som girls could be. And like that the afternoon passed.

They were so into their conversation that Maggie made them jump when she called out for James just as he was walking past them on his way to the dormitories. The three of them looked up and were surprised to see that the common room was nearly empty, except for six or seven students and that it was time to go to bed. James walked over to where they were sitting, right next to the fire, and Maggie started asking him a few questions on Defense Against the Dark Arts.

- "Maggie, I hate DADA, but I'm sure Remus will help you tomorrow morning if you can wait."

- "Oh! OK. I just tought that...as you're good at everything..."

James laughed and Lily stared at him. She knew she was a very intelligent girl so how could she not have seen before how perfect he was! He was intelligent, handsome and funny and even though he was so full of himself he could be so nice to others. But then she remebered what he had told her during detention and that stupid smile she had had on her face when she had seen him laugh slowly faded. He had sounded so sure of himself when he had talked about that stupid Gloria and when he had told her about giving up on her some time ago. So what shpuld she do? Give up as he had done or try and win him back? She was evaluating both options when she felt something hard on her ribs. Lulu had just hit her with her elbow and Lily looked at her.

- "What did you do that for?" – she whispered, rubbing her ribs where Lulu had hit her.

- "Because looking at James with your mouth open and a stupid gaze in your eyes is so not what the plan was about!" – she hissed back.

At least he was still talking to Maggie so he would probably not have noticed. Finally he said goodnight to the four girls, looked at Lily for a bit longer than the necessary and continued his way towards the boy's dormitories. Maggie decided she would ask Lupin in the morning and got up.

- "Time for me to go to bed, girls."

Lily and Lucila got up too.

- "You're right. We'd better get some sleep." – said Lily.

Maggie and Lulu started to walk towards the staircase. Lily waited, but Camila didn't move.

- "You're not coming?" – she asked her.

Camila looked at her roll of parchment and shook her head.

- "I want to write a letter to Phil, see if he wants to come to the ball this saturday. I haven't seen him since he came to Campbell Manor this summer and well..." – she shrugged – "I miss him."

- "Is it remorse?"

- "For what happened the other day?" – Camila laughed – "No."

- "Fine. But don't stay up too late or you'll fall asleep again in Binns' class."

She left and Camila started her letter. It was true she missed Phil and she wanted to see him, but if he didn't turn up she wouldn't mind at all. Two years was a lot of time and they didn't need the being all the time together anymore.

After several minutes someone sat opposite to her. She looked up and there he was, Sirius Balck and his stupid and lovely grin. As he sat down Liam and Rudy, another two students who were also in their 7th year in Gryffindor walked passed them, noded at them as in "goodnight" and left.

- "Do you find it hard to keep up with all the homework?" – he looked at her parchment.

- "Do you find it hard to live among human beings?"

- "To live with you...yes, but then again" – he grinned – "there's no proof you are a human."

It was so irritating the way he always had to say the last thing.

- "You know, Black? Nothing you say can disturbe me tonight." – she grinned back at him – "My boyfriend will be coming on saturday and I'm so happy!"

Sirius' face changed.

- "What?"

- "Phil will be coming to the ball with be, Black" – she still hadn't told him, but she was sure he would come – "And you should go over to your girlfriend, she doesn't look very happy."

The blonde girl was looking at them from the other end of the common room. Sirius looked at her and then turned back to Camila.

- "I already told you she is not my girlfriend."

- "Well...she doesn't seem to share your opinion" – said Camila, with a very amused voice.

Martha, who had overheard Sirius, got up and was now rushing towards the dormitories, tears welling in her eyes.

- "Bye, Martha!" – waved Camila.

As the girl dissapeared up the stairs Camila turned to Sirius. She thought she had caught him smiling, but when she looked again he wasn't. Martha's two friends left after her, throwing Camila looks of deepest disgust and she just smiled at them when they passed by. They were now, once again, alone in the room. "How does this always happen?" thought Camila.

- "Do you always have to be so damn cruel with others?" – he asked, but there wasn't hatred in his voice.

- "What abou you, Black? You go out with her several times, you ask her to the ball and then you then you kiss other girls when she's not around."

It was the first time since they had kissed that they mentioned it. Camila stood up, packed her things and turned her back on Sirius, ready to leave.

- "You're the one who has a boyfriend, Campbell, so don't preach to me about decency-"

She did it before she could think of it. She turned round and saw him standing there, his face red with anger and she slapped him. They both fell silent for a minute and then Camila turned round and started walking towards the stairs.

- "You know that deep inside you don't want him to come next saturday."

She turned round, angry tears in her eyes.

- "Yes, I do."

- "No, you don't. And you don't even know why you're still going out with him."

She walked up to him.

- "Because he's my boyfriend. And he has all the qualities a guy should have, all the qualities that you, Black, don't have."

- "Which are?"

- "He's...he's gentle and generous and he cares for others even if they're not his familiy or friends."

- "Phil Garner is not like that, and you know it."

- "Maybe not. But he is with me, which is what matters. And you know what?" – once more she turned round to leave and turned her head to look at him – "I love him."

She started to walk away and in two seconds Sirius had reached her, grabbed her by the arm and made her face him. They were just inches away from each other and Camila had to look up a bit so she could look him in the eye.

- "Say that again and make it sound credible." – he whispered.

She laughed.

- "What is it that bothers you so much, Black? That I love him? That he's not as arrogant and conceited as you are? Or that" – she paused – "you'll never have me like you have the other girls?"

He losened the grip on her arm and looked at her. Minutes went by, just the two of them looking at each other. Then he spoke.

- "All of them."

And for the second time they kissed, fiercely and passionatly as if was the last thing they would ever do.


	13. Chapter 13

THE BALL (part one)

-"You should stop doing that. Or at least be brave enough to brake up with Phil." – Camila had just told Lily about that second time with Sirius. – "Don't you realize you're just like him?"

-"No I'm not!" – answered Camila with quite an offended tone.

The day had finally arrived and everybody in school was getting ready for the the ball. Many girls had spent the day in their dormitories, trying on makeup and new hair styles (Erika Baxter had had no more accidents). Now it was only one hour for the ball to start and so the four girls were getting ready, wondering what everybody else would be wearing.

-"Is Phil coming?" – asked Lily

-"I don't know, he didn't answer be back."

-"It serves you right." – Lily told her.

-"You know?" – Camila turned to face Lily. She had been eyelining her eyes and she still had the eyeliner in her hand, which she pointed at Lily – "If you're going to be so nasty about it then I will shut my mouth next time and won't tell you a thing."

-"Don't point that thing at me" – She said – "Are you planning on a 'next time' or what?"

Camila went back to doing her make up.

-"No. Of course not."

The last hour went by and the girls were ready. Lulu was wearing golden dress robes and a some gold bracelets in one of her wrists. Her hair was tied up into a low bun. Maggie, on the other side, wore no bracelets or earings and plum colour robes. She had let her hair loose and her face was red with excitement. She had never looked so good. When she looked at Lily she gasped.

-"You look incredible! You did on purpose right? I mean, you chose green robes so they would match your eyes, right?"

Lily laughed and Lulu sighed.

-"Really Maggs, shut up." – she said

Lily had chosen green robes to match her eyes, the same way Camila had chosen dark blue to match hers. As Lulu, Lily had tied her dark red hair into a tight bun that stood high at the back of her head. She was wearing long earings that flashed with the light every time she moved.

Lulu and Maggie left to look for their partners and Lily turned to Camila.

-"Hey Cam" – when Camila looked up she said – "Even if Phil doesn't turn up we're having the best time ever, right?"

Camila laughed.

-"You know? It's going to be a great night, I feel it."

As Lily had to go and meet Nick Weston she left before Camila had finished. After several minutes Camila decided it was time to go downstairs and go look for her friends or maybe her cousin, who was also going by herself. She didn't want to see Sirius with the other girl, but she had promised herself not to care and to have a nice time that night. She thought about the night before. She walked down the staircase and into the common room. The few people that were still there looked up at her as she walked down the stairs and a few boys whistled. Sirius, who was still there, looked round and his mouth fell open. He couldn't understand how she had done it, she was the prettiest girl in school and that night she made herself look even better, which was quite imposible. Her long, dark hair was loose and fell over her shoulders. She was wering dark blue dress robes that, as Lily, matched her eye colour and her normally tanned skin now glowed and looked golden. She wore two gold thick bracelets, just like armlets, one on each arm and as she saw Sirius she couldn't stop from smiling.

-"You should close your mouth, Black" – she whispered when she passed him on her way out . "otherwise you risk any flies getting into it."

The Great Hall looked different. The four tables had been removed so as to leave space for the dancefloor and all around it had been set little tables of about eight people each. Some students were eating and others already dancing. The four girls were sitting together at one table with their partners and while Maggie went over to the big table set by the wall to get some food Camila started talking to Andrew. Lulu and Remus got up and went over to say hello to Lupin's friends at their table and so Lily was left with no other thing than talk to Nick. While he spokeabout quidditch and how being captain was quite difficult because "you have to be firm even with your own friends, you know?" Lily only had eyes for the table were Lulu was now sitting. There, next to her friend, sat Gloria who was holding hands with James and was talking to Sirius. She watched them for a while and when she saw Gloria lean over and whisper something into his ear that made him laugh she forced herself to look away and listen to Nick, who was now talking about the next quidditch match.

It was nearly midnight and Lily was sitting on a bench in the garden. She had had enough of Nick Weston for the rest of the night (he had tried to kiss her several times and when she had refused for the eleventh time he had told her some nasty things and had gone to look for some Ravenclaw girl) and, more than that, enough of seeing James and his new girlfriend dancing and laughing around.

She heard someone behind her and she turned round.

She saw maggie coming out of the school holding on to Andrew's arm and he was laughing, tears streaming down his eyes, at something she was telling him. Lily got up and moved to another bench. She didn't want to start talking to Maggie and Andrew and she was pretty sure they'd prefer to be alone. When she reached the other bench she decided she'd rather take a walk and so she kept on moving until she reached the lake.

Looking down into the water she suddenly realized it was nearly all over. A few more months and her school years would be over, she would be leaving Hogwarts and with it many of the people she had gotten to know over the past years and that she would probably never see again. She could hardly believe how fast time had gone by. There had been the classes, the quidditch matches when all the school got together to see the players, the Hogsmeade trips, the days sitting by the lake with her three friends, her Gryffindor classmates and James Potter... How many times had he asked her out? She probably couldn't count them with her fingers. She had been so stupid, so intelligent for other things. But now he was gone. She felt angry, both with herself and with him, for being there right now, in the Great Hall dancing and dancing the night away with that stupid Gloria.

Someone moved behind her. They say that when you think very hard about someone for a long time, that person ends up coming to you. Whether this was true or not, James Potter was standing right in front of her.

-"Hi."

-"I saw you walking towards the lake and I was wondering if you were feeling Ok." – he said.

-"I'm fine, thank you." – why did she have to sound so arrogant, why answer back in that horrible way? "Maybe because I'm so angry" she thought.

-"Sure?" – he asked.

-"Yes."

James stood there, not saying a word but not going away either. Finally he spoke.

-"What about Nick Weston?" – he asked Lily.

-"What about him?"

-"Where is he?"

-"Inside, I guess" – she turned her back on him and went back to staring at the lake. She didn't feel like talking to him, she was too tired. – "He got a bit carried away while dancing and I left."

-"WHAT??!!" – James walked over to her and she looked at him. – "What did he do?"

-"Nothing." – she remebered how James had warned her about how Nick really was and she didn't want to admit to him that he had been right.

-"Evans, if he has offended you in any way or-"

-"No!" – she didn't let him finish. She didn't know why, but she was feeling angrier now. Couldn't he just act with her like he did with the rest of the people and not be so nice? – "I don't need you interfering for me, it has been nothing, I just got bored of Nick and his arrogance. And even if something had happened I don't need you to act like a gentleman with me, I can take care of myself."

But she didn't feel that way. Her insides were screaming for him and she wanted to tell him how much she wantes to be with him and how stupid she had been, even if that meant saying it to the most arrogant and conceited guy in Hogwarts. But she couldn't do so, so instead she played the 'I don't need you and I still hate you' card.

-"Don't be stupid" – he said – "I was not talking about saving you like a bloody princess in a fairytale."

-"I'm not interested in listening to sarcasm."

-"I'm not sure you realize what it sounds like when you talk like that" – his voice sounded bitter, but his eyes were sad – You take me for such a fool. You think I'm no different from any other guy."

-"That's right." – inside she was crying rivers.

-"No. It's not just guys. You think I'm no different from anyone, man or woman. There's you and the rest of the world, and we're all inferior."

-"That's not true! Because I'm not naïve and facetious that means I look down on you?"

-"All the time. You should hear yourself, I offer you help, just in case that Weston guy had disturbed you in any way, out of concern and...yes Evans, affection and you just throw it back in my face."

-"I told you I'm fine and nothing happened." – she said – "I don't need protecting. And if you don't see that I wonder whether you see me at all."

James fell silent and when he spoke it was as if he was making a huge effort.

-"Have you any idea of how unlikeable you are, Evans? At your best you're magnificent and I loved you for it. But at your worst, you're nothing but a proud and arrogant bitch."

-"Me arrogant?"

-"Yes, Evans."

-"You know? You're not talking about me. You're talking about some stupid fantasy of yours. Grow up, Potter."

They stood looking at each other for a few minutes and then James spoke.

-"Yes, you're right." – and he strated walking away.

Lily couldn't believe what she had just done and she realized it was time to say it, so she called out for him.

-"James!"

It was his name that made him stop and turn round. It was the first time she said it.

-"I'm sorry."

It was all he needed to hear. With two steps he was once more next to her. He looked into her green eyes and when he saw them smile his heart leapted.

Next thing he knew he was kissing Lily Evans by the lake.


	14. Chapter 14

THE BALL (part two)

Camila looked around the Great Hall wondering where her best friend could be. She could see Lulu talking to Remus back at their table, and she could see Maggie trying to dance the night away with Andrew, but Lily was nowhere to be seen. She was starting to get bored of all this. She couldn't count with the fingers of both her hands(and feet)how many guys had already asked her to dance. She had tried to have fun with some of them, she had danced and talked to most of them, but she got bored of them really quickly. The one guy she wanted there hadn't even answered to her letter and that made her feel really bad.

Through all the evening,while she had been dancing with those boys all she had been able to was think about Phil and what she had been doing with Sirius. She had told herself that, after all, her relation of so many years with Phil was absolutely over and that what she had done for the past few days was not wrong. But not receiving an answer from Phil had made her realise how much she loved him and that she wanted to go on with him. After all he was nice to her, he adored her as a matter of fact and both their families were delighted with them being together. It was supposed to be that way, that was what she had once heard her mother and aunt Acelina say. So she had to stop this messing aound with Sirius Balck. She definetely wanted to give her relationship with Phil another chance, even if she didn't want to stop it with Sirius. But then she realised that since the last time they had kissed he hadn't spoken to her once. "No" she thought. "I must stop that now. It can't be, it has to be this way.He has had a whole seven years to say something and not even now he seems to care about it. He is just messing around like he usually does with other girls."

She looked around the Great Hall searching him with the eyes "Well he's not playing with me"she said to herself.It seemed to her that she wasn't even going to be able to sit down with her friends and have a chat about it.

Someone touched her on the shoulder and she turned round to see Gloria looking at her. The girl seemed sort of scared to be adressing Camila, but she spoke anyway.

-"Excuse me...have you seen James?"

-"Why should I?" – She knew she had answered back in quite a nasty way, but she was tired and Gloria Foley was the last person she wanted to talk to. Except, maybe, that Martha girl.

-"Well...ermm...you are friends,right? Maybe you knew where he had gone."

-"Shouldn't you be asking one of his friends?" – she turned round as if dismissing her and spotted her cousin sitting a few tables away talking to some friends. She decided the best she could do was go over there and spend the rest of the evening talking to her.

-"I already have."

Once more she turned around and saw Gloria still looking at her.

-"Listen,girl-"

-"It's Gloria"

-"Whatever. I have no idea where James is, but if I were you I would stop looking for him. It's quite clear to me he has left." – she turned her back on Gloria and was about to go over to her cousin's table when the girl spoke again.

-"I know he hasn't gone anywhere.He wouldn't leave me here."

Camila rolled her eyes,looked at her once more and with a half smile on her face said:

-"It's not a matter of where he is, but with who he might be."

And having said that she finally started walking over to where her cousin was.

Morgana was her same age and they got on extremely well. They spent their summers together back at Campbell Manor and if you didn't know them you could easily think they were sisters, even if Morgana was blonde. Camila always thought that her cousin should have been with her in Gryffindor, but in their first year at Hogwarts the Sorting Hat had put her in Slytherin like most of her family before her. But every time they had a chance of getting together and have a talk they did so. There was nobody in school who understood her so well, except for maybe Lily, and she needed desperately to talk to her and tell her about all the recent events in her life. Morgana always said Sirius was the perfect guy and that it was really unfair he was in Gryffindor and not in her house, but she also said that she thought him quite arrogant and that she didn't understand what they were both waiting for if they were so into each other. "No, we're not"Camila always told her To which Morgana always answered "yeah, whatever. If you don't like each other then I'm a nasty bitch.""Mo...you are an nasty bitch."Camila used to answer.

She reached the table and everbody looked up at her.

-"Caaaam!!!" – Morgana jumped out of her chair and hugged her cousin. – "Where have you been? I've been looking for you all night!"

-"I don't know...over there,dancing with some guys. Nothing interesting." – she looked at the boys who where sitting down, looking up at them with their mouths slightly open – "What about you? I see you are well surrounded."

Morgana laughed, throwing back her head a little and showing her perfect white teeth just a bit,exactly like Camila did.

-"Yeah,well...Nothing too interesting, although I do have some things to tell you." – she added in a low voice.

Camila opened her eyes very widely and smiled.

-"What?" – she asked. She glanced over at the table once more and then looked back at Morgana – "Has it got anything to do with...?." – she left the question unfinished

-"Shhh!! I'll tell you later, I can't talk right know." – she turned round to look at the people at the table.

-"Mo! You won't expect me to wait, right? Not after this!"

-"Why don't you meet me later? You know, at the end. And we can –"sudddenly she broke off and smiled widely. Camila noticed she was looking at some point behind her.

She turned round. Sirius Black was walking towards them.

-"Hi, Black" – she heard Morgana say behind her.

-"Hello Mo. How are you doing?" – he had already reached them. Camila could smell him and it smelled so good...

-"Really well, talking to my cousin as you can see." – it was quite a cold answer, but Morgana was smiling.

-"You are just as nice as her." – Sirius, too, was smiling –" At least you're pretty and you can permit yourself to answer back in that way"

-"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

-"It is whatever you want it to be, love."

-"Then I will take it as a compliment. I hear not many girls get as lucky as me tonight as to receive compliments from you, Black."

Sirius laughed.

-"Yeah well, your cousin here is not one of those lucky girls." – he turned round to Camila – "But lately she's been working hard to get one herself " – he winked and looked back at Morgana. – "Maybe she'll get lucky one of these days..."

Now it was the Campbell's time to laugh.

"You know, Black? You are one arrogant son of a bitch. But I like that." – she smiled at him and looked at Camila – "I'll talk to you later, I don'think he came here to talk to me." – and having kissed Camila on the cheek, she sat back down and carried on talking to her friends. Some of the boys were still looking at Camila,who turned her back on Sirius and stared walking towards the other end of the Great Hall.

Sirius started following her and when she was about to exit he grabbed her by the arm and forced her to turn round.

-"You know? It is really rude when someone comes over to talk to you and you just turn your back on them and walk away" - -he told her, still not letting go of her arm.

She looked at him.

-"Let go of my arm, Black" – she said through gritted teeth and even though she looked really scary he still didn't let her go.

-"No, Campbell. You'll listen to me first" – he wasn't smiling anymore like he had when talking to Morgana, he was quite serious.

-"I don't want to listen to you. I don't think you have anything interesting enough for me to hear" – she was trying to free her arm from his grip, but he was too strong for her.

-"That's because your idea of 'interesting' is very different from mine-"

-"No kidding"

-"-but that is not the case" – he finished off – "Have you seen James?"

-"Why does everybody keep asking me that question? I'm not his nanny, you know?"

-"That is not what I asked."

-"Who cares?"

-"You should."

She laughed. But it was not a pleasant laugh. It was quite cold. It was,in fact, the same laugh Mo used when she was arguing or making fun of someone, and that was never pleasant.

-"Black, there are so many things I should do and I don't."

-"Such as?" – he asked.

-"Such as you don't care" – she looked at him in the eye – "now let go of my arm"

He did, but he stayed there looking at her, deep inside admiring her beauty. She turned round and walked out of the Great Hall. He followed until he reached the bottom of the staircase and when he spoke she was already some starirs ahead.

-"Is it just with me or are you always so overbearing with everybody?"

She turned round glearing at him.

-"Excuse me, but don't you have anyone inside the Great Hall waiting for you?"

-"Yeah, loads of people."

-"Then go away. I don't feel like starting up an argument with you tonight" – she continued to climb the stairs, but then he spoke and she turned round once more.

-"You're right. It seems to me that's all we do. And it's starting to bore me."

He was about to go back into the Great Hall, but she went down a few steps.

-"No. That's not everything we do."

-"Really?" – he was now smiling.

Camila felt her blood boiling. Why did he always have to be so cheeky?

-"Yes. You also kiss me everytime you have an opportunity and then just act as if it didn't happen."

-"And does that bother you?"

He had gone up two steps and now he was just one lower than her,looking directly into her blue eyes. She hesitated. She would have never admitted how she felt, but now that she had decided to give her realtionship with Phil a real go she didn't really care.

-"Yes" – he looked surprised. – "It did bother me. Actually" – she smiled – "it still annoys me not knowing what goes through your mind. But I'm sick of it. So if you were thinking on doing it again any other time then" – she paused, as if forcing the words out of her – "forget about it."

-"What if I don't want to forget about it?"

She looked at him.

-"That is not my problem."

-"I think it is. What if I tell you I'm not giving up until you brake up with that loser?"

Her heart was beating very fast, but then again so was his. He was so close now that their noses were nearly touching.

-"I would tell you you should have thought about that before. You've had seven years, Black, seven whole years."

-"But these last few days..." – he let the sentence unfinished.

-"These last few days you have been no different from the ones before, and the ones before that."

-"Cam, I..."

He had a very strange look in his eyes when he kissed her once more. She was about to let herself go, to abandon herself to him and his kiss when she opened her eyes and took one step away from him.

-"No! No! You can't do that, Black!"

-"Why not?" – he looked alarmed, not understanding what had happened.

-"Because you can't!" – silent tears were now rolling down her cheeks – "I'm with Phil, don't you understand that?"

-"Well, it's not as if it's all been my fault, you know? I didn't hear you complain the other times."

-"Well you hear me now. It's over."

For one minute she thought he would beg, she thought he would get hold of her and kiss her,just like the other times. Instead he smiled and started walking back to the Great Hall, but before going in he turned round once more and said:

-"Fine. Fine. But just so you know, Campbell, it's not over. Because we never had anything. And you can't be over nothing."

And he walked into the Great Hall while she sat on the stairs crying her heart out.


	15. Chapter 15

THE BALL (part three)

- "Hey, gorgeous."

Camila looked up, surprised. There, right in front of her stood the last person she thought she would see that night.

- "Phil?"

Phil laughed.

- "Do I look that bad in this robes that my very own girlfriend doesn't even recognise me?"

- "No! You look...incredible."

And it was true. There he was, right in the middle of the Entrance Hall, so tall and strong with his brown hair and brown eyes that smiled as he looked at her. The black dress robes he was wearing made him look as if he was someone important, very elegant and a few girls who were going into the Great Hall looked over their shoulders at him, giggling and batting their eyelashes hoping he would turn round and look at one of them. But he only had eyes for Camila and she knew it and this just made her feel worse about everything that had happened recently.

He laughed again.

- "Thanks, but I'm sure I don't look half as good as you do."

He walked over to the stairs and sat next to her, putting an arm over her shoulders. He gave her a hug.

- "What are you doing here?" – he asked.

- "I was going to ask you the same thing."

- "Well...my girlfriend invited me to this ball that is taking place in the Great Hall right now." – he smiled – "Maybe you know her...She's in 7th year, she's tall and has dark hair and amazing blue eyes and she-"

- "You didn't answer my letter."

He sighed and took his arm off her shoulders.

- "But I came,right? Don't start being a little girl."

She didn't answer back. She rarely answered him back and they nearly ever argued, unlike with Sirius...She felt something inside her ache when she thought about what Sirius would have said had he seen her not give Phil a reply. She quickly forced that idea out of her mind and rested her head on his shoulder.

- "I'm happy you're here."

He kissed her hair.

- "I'm happy too" – he whispered – "But I came to a ball and I think this is not it..."

She laughed.

- "No."

- "Then let's go inside!" – he stood up and offered her his hand – "Will you dance with me?"

She looked up at him and grinned, remembering the first time they had kissed and how it had all started with that same question.

- "Of course."

And taking his hand they walked into the Great Hall.

...

Lily went into the Great Hall unable to erase the wide smile on her face. She was looking for Camila because even though she was going to tell all the three girls about her kiss by the lake she defenetly wanted her best friend to be the first one to know. But Camila was nowhere to be seen. The first thing she thought was that maybe Phil had come to Hogwarts, but then she remembered that he hadn't even answered to her friend's letter. 'One more sign that Phil Garner is no gentleman' she thought bitterly. Not that she hated haim, after all he had been Cami's boyfriend for more than two years now and they got on really well, but since last summer, since she had seen him in London with another girl that wasn't Camila, she didn't like him that much anymore. It had taken her nearly one whole week to tell her friend what she had seen, but finally she had told her and that had led to the breaking up of the couple. However, after two weeks of Phil sending Camila flowers everday and begging her pardon every other day Camila had finally accepted to go back with him. Shortly after that, back at Campbell Manor one summer, Morgana had explained to her that somehow it had to be like that, that Phil belonged to one of the most powrful families in the wizarding world, just like the Campbells, and that them being together was important for bothe thier families who saw in that relationship the opportunity to become one.

- "That is stupid, I've never heard such nonsense before." – Lily had told her – "Those things don't happen anymore."

- "Yes they do, more often than you would think" – Mo had replied – "It's something to do with pure blood and all that stuff. You know it's something my familiy really takes into account."

- "Well I'm muggle born and I spent part of my summer here every year" – she had said coldly.

- "I know and I really like it, because I do consider you my friend, and you know it. I didn't mean to offend you Lil, but you must admit it is very strange" – Mo said – "You're the only muggle born they treat as part of our family. You know they only think those who are worth thier time are people like the Garners or the Black family."

Lily had noticed she hadn't said mudblood.

The second thing she thought was that she had probably left with Sirius. She rolled her eyes and started walking towards the tables, through the dancing crowd, looking for her friends. Suddenly she saw James entering the Great Hall. He saw her, winked and went looking for someone. She flushed.

After kissing James had told her he couldn't believe it was finally happening.

- "You knew it. You knew it would happen in the end, right?" – she had told him.

- "I knew it since the first time I saw you, but it seems you wanted to make me try hard, and I was starting to get tired of it."

She punched him soflty on his chest, playing.

- "Well Potter...nothing good comes easy" – she joked – "I'm sorry it took me so long to get here."

He kissed her once more, doubting that this moment was real and hoping it would never come to an end.

- "It was worth it."

They decided she would go in first and he follow later for he was, afte all, dating Gloria and it would have been a lack of respect to go in together when everybody knew what he felt for her.

Lily finally spotted Lulu and Remus sitting at a table talking to Sirius and Peter. That made her look around once more Camila for she had been sure she was with Sirius. But the only girl near Sirius Black at that moment was that blonde girl who was sitting on his lap laughing at everything that was being said. Lulu saw her and waved at her, telling to go sit with them. She sat next to next to Peter and Remus, so that she was just in front of Sirius.

- "Has anyone seen Cami?" – she asked. The question was for everybody to answer, but she was looking directly into Sirius' eyes.

He knew she wanted him to be the one to answer and so he did.

- "Yes. I saw her talking to Morgana and I think she left some time ago."

He was smiling. Lily coudn't deny that he was very handsome and she smiled too, because she wanted him to know that she knew everything. And she was fond of him.

- "You think or you know, Black?"

Sirius laughed. He had always thought she was very intelligent and funny, and he really liked her for hir best friend. The others looked from one to the other not understanding what was going on between them.

- "I know."

- "Well you know wrong, Black" – said a voice from behind.

They all turned their heads and there was Camila, holding hands with her boyfriend while every head from every table turned round to look at the perfect couple.

Sirius' smile faded at once.


	16. Chapter 16

THE BALL (part four)

THE BALL (part four)

- "Phil, this is everybody. Everybody, this is Phil." – Camila introduced him to the whole table. And then, smiling broadly (to Sirius in particular) she added – "my boyfriend."

There was a general 'hi!', except from Sirius, who sat there just looking at both of them as they sat down between Lily and Lupin. Lily wondered wether Camila had sat there just to be in front of Sirius, and knowing her as she did she was pretty sure she had. Immediately Lulu started talking to Phil ("We've heard so much about you""It's great you came""You should meet Maggs, she's dying to talk to you""Where do you work right now?""Are you staying here?"...)and Lily grabbed that opportunity to talk a bit to her friend.

- "We have to talk."

- "If it's about anything regarding that idiot sitting in front of us, forget about it."

- "Cam, as interesting as it is to discuss your relation with Black, there is something else I want to tell you."

Camila bent over a bit and whispered into Lily's ear.

- "Is it about the plan?"

She sat back and looked at her friend, who was suddenly smiling and very red in the face.

- "It is!"

- "Shhh! I don't want everybody finding out. At least not yet." – she added with a wink.

- "Ok. But just tell one thing."

- "What?"

- "Did it or did it not happen?"

Lily smiled at her and wondered wether she would tell her know or later. But she decided that it would be somewhat cruel to leave her with the doubt so she nodded. Camila opened her eyes very widely, muffled a laugh and then asked:

- "And did it get ineteresting..?"

- "Cam!"

- "What?! I just was just wondering..."

They both laughed and Lily noticed that Sirius was looking at them. She was sure Camila had noticed that too and that she was going to give him a hard time. She mentally noted that she would have to ask her later what had happened between them. Because she was sure something had happened while she had been away with James.

- "What are you two girls laughing at?" – said Phil.

He had turned round when he had heard them laughing.

- "Nothing, just remembering something Maggs said before."

And they laughed again, so hard that they cried this time. It was just one of those times when you can't stop laughing and the most insignificant thing anyone says makes you laugh even harder until your stomach aches.

Just then Morgana stopped by their table and went over to hug Phil.

- "Phil! What a surprise! What are you doing here?"

- "Hi, Mo." – he kissed her on the cheek – " Cam asked me to come."

- "I know, but I thought you hadn't answered the owl."

- "I didn't. I wanted it to be a surprise."

From the other side of the table Martha sighed so loudly everybody turned round to look at her.

- "Isn't that romantic?" – she said

Phil smiled at her, thinking he had never seen that girl before, that she didn't seem very smart and wondering why she was sitting with his girlfriend's friends. He got up and continued talking to Morgana, his back to the table. When Martha spoke Camila laughed again, making the girl a bit uncomfortable, but not caring about it in the least and said:

- "Ohh! How cute of you to think that. It's a pity you'll never get such a gesture from Black."

Martha didn't reply, but Sirius did.

- "What makes you say that, Campbell? You have no idea of what I can do."

- "Believe me it's not something I want to find out."

- "And who says I would ever give you the opportunity of finding out?

They were arguing again, everyone at the table looking at them, except for Phil and Morgana, who were talking. But this time, unlike the other times, Sirius wasn't smiling. Camila wasn't going to let him have the last word this time, she was sick of him, of their arguements and worst of all, she was sick of seeing that stupid girl sitting on his lap. She laughed.

- "Are you trying to make me believe that you would surprise her, lets say next year if there was a ball here, and come all the way from London without telling...Mathilda?-"

- "Martha"

- "-yeah, that. Just to surprise her, like my boyfriend did tonight?"

She knew it was a very nasty question to make because she was forcing him to talk clearly about what was going on between Martha and him and she knew he wasn't prepeared for he really didn't feel that way about the poor girl. Sirius looked around at his friends, as if asking for help, but Lupin shrugged his shoulders and Peter seemed quite scared of being at a table where these two were having an arguement. So he looked back at her, forced a smile out from him and answered.

- "Maybe"

- "Please take a picture when it happens." – she told the girl.

She got up and went over to where Phil and Morgana were talking. She had been determined to be the last one to say a word in that arguement. Phil passed an arm around her shoulders and the three of them continued talking, although Camila was quite absent minded.

Back at the table the others were still silent, not believing what had just happened and some of them feeling a bit sad for Martha, since it had been left quite clear what those two felt for each other. As soon as Camila left and just as Sirius saw Phil hugging her and give her a soft kiss he got up and told everyone they were leaving.

"Already?" – Martha asked, just like a little girl.

Needn't be said they left.

Lupin was the first one to speak.

"So...has anyone seen James?"

"Remus! Who cares about James right now? Doesn't anybody else think Camila and Sirius would make the perfect couple?"

Lily laughed.

"Lulu, can you imagine that? It would be total chaos! All the time yelling at each other and throwing things at their heads. Total hell."

They all laughed while they pictured the situation she had just described.

"Did anyone else feel sorry for Martha?" – asked Lupin.

The other three nodded and someone spoke from behind.

"Sorry for who?" – James asked.

Lily's heart missed one beat as he sat right next to her and got hold of her hand beneath the table, so the others couldn't see. Lily noticed Lulu was looking at her with a very strange look on her face and she knew she would not get into bed that night without telling her everything. And she was sure Lulu was capable of torturing her until she got every juicy detail of her night. Just then Andrew and Maggie arrived and sat next to Peter and Lulu, their faces flushed from so much dancing. Maggie looked around at everybody and realising there was someone missing she decided who she found more interesting and so she asked James.

- "Where is Gloria?"

- "She left like half an hour ago."

- "And what are you doing here?"

- "Well, I walked her to the common room but then realised I wanted to spend more time with you guys down here." – he pressed Lily's hand a bit and smiled at Maggie – "you think I did right?"

- "Ohh, yes! It's great you came back" – everybody laughed – "Really!"

They all spend some more time talking and laughing and having a great time. Camila and Phil joined them after they finished talking to Morgana and Phil was introduced to those who hadn't been there before. Maggie made everyone laugh with her impersonation of Slughorn and they all talked about how much they would miss school once it was all over.

Finally Andrew and Maggie got up and so did Lulu and Lupin. Peter realised he didn't wishe to stay there with the other four even if James was his friend and got up too. Goodbyes were said and the crowd left leaving Phil and Cami, James and Lily at the table.

- "You realise we haven't danced not once?" – Phil asked Cami.

- "Really?" – she had been thinking about...other things.

- "No." – he got up – "It's getting late and they'll turn the music off any minute,so...shall we?"

She though that, after all, he wasn't the one she had saved the last dance for and that someone else had taking that dance, but she got up and took his hand. He was her boyfriend, he had come all the way from his house to be with her and it was the least she could do. But deep inside she knew she would have to talk to him sooner or later.

When they were off James looked at Lily. He still couldn't believe they were there, together. He was even scared of moving in case it wasn't real. But when she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek he realised it was true and his heart warmed up. He looked at her.

- "You know, I was going to ask you the same thing."

- "Really? You were going to ask me if they were going to put the music out any minute?" – she joked.

- "Exactly." – he laughed.

Lily wondered how things would have been two minutes ago if Phil had been Sirius. When James asked her what she was thinking she told him about Camila and Sirius'arguement.

- "Do you think they like each other?"

- "I don't think it, I know it. But we both know that they're too arrogant to admit it or to be the first one to say so."

- "Yeah, well...for some people it takes a lot of time."

- "No kidding!"

They both laughed and went over to dance the last three or four songs. Some people turned round as they went by, and the rude ones even pointed at them. Lily could hear people whispering things such as 'have you seen that?'"James Potter and Lily Evans dancing?''Do you know if they're together?''Wasn't he dating another Gryffindor girl?', but for once she couldn't care less about all that talk and she just followed James who was taking her hand, guiding their way to the dancefloor.

When they started dancing she saw some students looking, but she couldn't see Phil nor Cami and she supposed they had already left. There weren't many students left. As they slowdanced James spoke into her ear.

- "Tomorrow I'm braking up with Gloria"

- "Tomorrow? Won't she realise it is because of tonight?"

- "It wouldn't be fair to do it later. And besides..." – he paused – "it isn't jut because of tonight."

Lily looked up at him.

- "Then do it." –

She smiled at him and he felt his heart leap. He just wanted to make sure one last time this was going to happen for real, and that he wasn't getting his hopes high for nothing.

- "Lil, you're sure of this, right?"

- "What do you mean?"

- "I mean you're not getting cold feet tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. I mean you want to be with me the same way I want to be with you and that is everybody in this school knowing, no matter what we hear." – he got hold of her chin and made her look him in the eye. – "I mean I love you. I always have and always will, and I'll always be there for you. That's what I mean."

Lily looked at him for a bit, realising there was nobody else in the whole world she would ever want to be with. She smiled and whispered into his ear:

- "I've never been so sure of anything in my life."

And with that she rested her head on his chest and they danced the night away(or what was left of it..)


	17. Chapter 17

First AFTER THE BALL

First of all I would like to thank you all, for reading my story and posting those very nice reviews. And then I would like to excuse myself, for both taking such a long time between chapter and chapter and for my horrile grammar. After all, I'm spanish and it takes quite an effort to write in another language! Thanks again and I hope you enjoy the rest of the chapters until the end!

AFTER THE BALL

It was starting to get quite cold outside, but she didn't shiver. She knew she had to do it and even if she was finding hard she forced thewords out of her mouth.

- "I don't know how to say this, but...well, I think...we should, we-"

- "Are you trying to break up with me?"

She didn't answer, but they both knew that was exactly what she was trying to do. However, after all the time they had been together she found it very difficult. But she knew she had do it and something inside her told her she had known for a long time now. She looked towards the lake, unable to speak. Then he spoke.

"If that's what you intend to do, you should do it now, and not make me waste anymore time."

She looked round at him and realised he was angry, and for the first time she understood why some people were afraid of him. She opened her mouth, but did not reply and so he went on speaking:

- "Leon warned me. He told me it was only a matter of time."

- "My own brother warned you against me?" – she was so surprised she nearly laughed.

- "You think it's funny?"

"No! I just...I just can't believe Leon told you that, that's all."

- "He's my best friend. That's what he's supposed to do."

She realised he was getting very angry and his voice sounded extremely bitter. She knew him when he lost his temper and she didn't like it so she decided to get over with this as soon as posible.

- "Phil...I'm sorry, but-"

- "You're sorry?" – he said in a low voice, the same voice he had used so many times before, whe he had gone over to Campbell Manor to visit and they had not wanted to wake up anybody at night when coming back from having some drinks in the village's pub. Only this time it didn't sound nice and inviting, but quite cold and threatening. – "You're sorry?" – he laughed – "I came all the way from my house to be with you at this stupid event, you break up with me after all this years and all you can say is you're sorry??" – he mimicked the apology.

- "You're acting ike a baby." – now she was startin to get angry too and she wasn't sure if it was with him or with herself.

- "You would't want me to act like a grown up right now."

- "Are you threatening me?"

He turned round and stared into the lake.

- "No, of course not."

She looked at him, studying his face, the face she knew so well and she wondered wether she was doing the right thing. But then she imagined herself looking at Sirius instead and she realised Phil was no longer the person she wanted to be with, although she wasn't sure wether that person was Sirius either. But one thing she was sure about: As hard as she found it, she had to break up with her boyfriend.

- "Is it because of Artemisa?" – he asked, but still not looking at her.

- "What?! No!" – she laughed – "It's just that-"

- "She means nothing to me. Nobody is as important to me as you are, Cam." . he turned round and looked at her. – "If she's the reason you're breaking up with me tonight I swear I'll never see her again or even-"

Camila put up one hand.

- "Again?"

- "I swear."

Slowly she put down her hand, realising that every bad thing she had ever heard about him was probably true and that the person she had been in love with was slowly vanishing. But she also realised, and that was what shocked her the most, that deep inside she had known how he was all along and that she had never really cared. Because they were very much alike.

- "Phil, I think you misunderstood me." – she put her hands on her hips, the same way her mother did when she was getting angry – "You did it AGAIN?"

- "Come on! As if you hadn't heard."

She was surprised at how cheeky he could be. He hadn't even tried to lie.

- "How could I-" – she stopped and then added, nearly shouting – "Leon knew about this?!"

He laughed.

- "You think I'm such a fool I would tell your brother?"

- "Not a fool, just pathetic."

He stopped laughing.

- "Aren't you going to ask me why I kept on doing it?"

"You really think I'm interested?"

- "One would think you'd like to know"

- "I couldn't care less."

And it was true. After all that time spent together she was surprised at how little she cared.

- "Camila...This summer yu've been quite distant-"

- "I don't want to listen to excuses."

- "You haven't answered to my letters-"

- "You mean the one letter."

- "You haven't written once-"

- "That's not true, and you know it."

- "You forgot about my birthday-"

- "As if you cared."

- "You went back home for a weekend and I found out two weekes later-"

- "Casandra was very ill and I went to San Mungo."

- "Still." – he tried to touch her, but she took one step back - "I only did it because I thought I was losing you. You have to admit we weren't going through the best of times-"

- "Phil, whatever made you think that this would make things better between us is something that amazes me."

- "It worked the last time."

She slapped him before he could blink and she stared walking back to the castle.

- "Camila!" – he roared.

But she didn't stop. He was by her side in two seconds and holding her by the arm in three. He was holding her so tight he was hurting her.

- "Phil, stop."

- "Don't you ever walk away from again again, you heard me?"

- "I'm not deaf."

He still didn't let go.

- "You think you can leave? Just like that?" – he laughed. And it was not pleasant – "Haven't you realised this is the way it goes?"

- "No."

- "Is it because of a guy?"

- "No."

He laughed again.

- "Come on, Cam! You can tell me the truth, I'm your loving boyfriend!"

- "No. You're not. You're just some psycho who thinks himself the top of the world. How sad I lost two years of my life with you."

- "Well...they say you never forget your first love."

- "Too bad that hasn't been you."

He tightened the grip on her arm.

- "What?" – it was barely a whisper.

- "You heard me right. I'm not repeating it."

She looked him in the eye and thought that he had a very strange look. She had never seen him so angry and it was very scary.

- "Let go of my arm. NOW." – she sounded calm, but she was starting to get nervous.

- "Nobody tells me what to do."

It was her turn to laugh.

- "There is always a first time for everything."

She finally broke free from him and it was as if he came back to normal. He opened his eyes widely, realising what he had just done.

- "Camila, I...I'm...so sorry..."

- "You should. You disgust me." – and the look on her face proved her words.

Phil on the other hand looked as though he was about to cry.

- "Cami, please don't tell-"

- "If you think I'm not elling everybody as soon as I get back you're dreaming."

As she walked back towards the castle she turned round and for the second time that night said:

- "And just in case it isn't clear, this is over."


	18. Chapter 18

ONE TRIP TO HOGSMEADE

Two weeks had passed since the it day had finished and finally the mood at Hogwarts was returning to normal. By now everybody at school knew James Potter was dating Lily Evans, but it seemed to them both that nobody was surprised with this news. It was also all around school that Camila Campbell was single again and so every ten minutes one boy would pluck up the courage to ask her out. But every one of those boy received a "no, thanks"for an answer. In those two weeks Sirius and Camila hadn't talked once, and this was something that hadn't gone unnoticed by those who knew them boh. But Lily had decided she would not ask Camila about whatever it was that had happened between Sirius and her at the ball, for she thought her best friend had enough coping both with her break up and her sister still being in San Mungo and not getting better. She was sure Camila would tell her when she felt ready.

It was a saturday morning and Lily and James were having lunch before going to Hogsmeade. Lily had spent the whole morning doing her homework in the library while James had spent that time in detention with Sirius for duelling in the corridor outside McGonagall's classroom. They were talking about how inmature Lily thought he was when Camila dropped her bag on the table and sat next to James They both looked at her and Camila stared back at James, as if deciding wether she could talk in front of him.

- "I'll leave if you want me too" – he said.

She smiled and shook her head.

- "No, don't worry. I'm not going to talk about where I hid the magic treasure, so it's ok, you can stay."

He laughed and Lily smiled, happy her best frend was joking again. She had spent two very silent weeks, barely talking and looking quite sad, but now Lily was sure Camila was about to say something.

- "What's the matter?" – she asked.

Camila poured somewater into her cup and looked at her, half smiling.

- "You won't believe who asked me out just now."

None of theother two gave her an answer, but Camila wasn't waiting for one so she just answered herself.

- "Nick Weston!" – she laughed.

- "What?!" – Lily's eyes were wide open with surprise and James was choking on his food

- ."Yeah! The guy's a jerk so it really doesn't surprise me. He's been trying it for two weeks now" – said Camila, patting James on the back – "ever since you 'dissapeared' from the ball. What was he thinking? That I would agree?"

James drank some water and tried to say something, but he started coughing again and Camila went back to patting his back.

- "And you did?" – asked Lily, looking at her boyfriend, who was still bent over himself trying to breathe.

- "Lil, I swear I would eat a pack full of...what could I say?...full of beetle eyes rather than go out with Nick once. And you know how much I hate beetles." – she was completely serious. – "I'm sorry, but what were you thinking when you agreed to go to the ball with him is still a mystery to me."

James took a deep breath and with some difficulty and tears in his eyes said:

- "Well said."

Lily rolled her eyes and looked at Camila.

- "You're coming to Hogsmeade with us?"

- "No. I forgot to tell you: Cas finally got out of San Mungo a few days ago! She's coming today."

- "Really?" – Lily was smiling broadly.

Casandra had spent nearly six months in hospital and nobody had been able to tell her parents what she had, but it seemed she was already fine and she was returning to school.

- "Yeah, she's missed these four months, but Dumbledore said it doesn't really matter if she works a bit harder than usual. So I'm staying here with Meg to welcome her back.

Megara was Morgana's sister and she was the same age as Casandra. Although they were in different houses(for Casandra was in Gryffindor and Megara in Slytherin) they spent all their time together.

- "I can't wait to see her!" – she said.

Just then Sirius entered the Great Hall, saw them and started walking towards them. As Camila saw him she got up, grabbed her bag, said goodbye to the other two and left. On her way out she passed Sirius and they looked at each, but didn't say a word.

Just as Camila had done, Sirius dropped his bag on top of the table and sat next to Lily. He yawned, put his hands behind his neck and looked at James.

- "I got myself another detention."

His friend laughed and Lily rolled her eyes.

- "What for?" – asked James.

- "For hexing Nick Weston"

- "Why?" – Lily had spilled her water, but didn't seem to care. She just looked at Sirius.

- "Well...I saw him disturbing...a friend." – he shrugged his shoulders and started making himself a sandwich – "Besides, I've never liked him."

Lily and James exchanged a look, but didn't say anything.

- "You're coming to Hogsmeade with us?" – James asked him

Sirius finished making his sandwich and put it into his bag.

- "No. I'm going with Remus and Peter, but first I have to go to Sinistra's office." – he got up – "so enjoy yourselves, kids."

He winked at them and putting his bag over his shoulder he left.

When they finished eating they walked towards the Entrance Hall. They buttoned their cloaks and went out into the freezing cold. It was snowing.

- "It's beautiful." – said Lily, as they stood on the steps looking at the white school grounds.

- "You are beautiful." – answered James.

She looked up at him and smiled. He got hold of her hand amd they starting walking towards the gates and Hogsmeade.

They had been sitting at the Three Broomsticks for a while now, talking and laughing and joking with each other. They had talked about their first time in the Hogwarts Express, where they had first met; they talked about their first classes in Hogwarts and how Lily loathed him because he was so conceited. They talked about his family and her family too, about how much she missed not being on good terms with her sister anymore; they talked about what they would do next year, when they left school; they talked about many other things. James was surprised at how easy it was, at how he would spend his whole life just looking at her and never get bored. Lily, on the other hand, was surprised at how mistaken she had been all those years for thinking he was this arrogant boy who just thought himself and his friends the best of all and that didn't care about anything else that was not his looks. But even though they were thinking different things they both thought, too, that they were very lucky to have each other. It just felt right that way.

After a while James yawned, sat back on his chair and looked at Lily.

- "What?" – she smiled at him.

- "I was thinking...what's going on between Sirius and Camila?"

Lily laughed.

- "I don't know. You should ask your friend, he's the one who hexed Nick because he was 'disturbing a friend'."

- "No,no.no...You should ask your friend, she's the one who broke up with her boyfriend because of my friend?"

- "Who says it was because of your friend, Sherlock?"

- "I do." – he winked at her – "And what's Sherlock, anyway?"

She sat up and cupped her hands under her shin, smiling at him.

- "Not what,who. He's just a character in muggle literature."

- "Oh! I thought we were back in first year and you were insulting me again."

She laughed and looked into his eyes.

- "So you think there's something going on between those two?" – she asked.

- "You're kidding? Everybody thinks it." – he sat up – "Besides, you know as much as I do,and you know it already happened."

She put down her hands and crossed her arms, still smiling. He couldn't believe it was happening at last.

- "Yeah,well...It doesn't look like they're doing whatever they did anymore."

James slammed his hand on the table, causing his glass to fall off the table and brake into pieces.

- "Exactly! Oh, sorry. _Reparo_!" – he muttered – "What I mean is that we should do something."

- "We should do something?" – she asked – "James, I'm not doing anything, I'm not getting myself in the middle of anything. If Cam needs help she'll ask for it."

- "And you're going to stand by, just watching your friend feel sad and miserable when you could be doing something to help her?" – he smiled at her, knowing he had said something that had touched her inside and that would make her agree.

- "James Potter...I hate you."

- "And I love you, Lily Evans." – he got up, ready to leave for it was time to go back to Hogwarts.

He walked over to her to help her get up, just like a gentleman would do and Lily saw a group of girls from the next table looking at them. She went outside while he paid. When he came out they started walking back to school, Lily with her hands behind her back.

- "So, how are we going to help?" – he asked, rubbing his hands, since it was very cold outside.

- "You are the one who's going to need help, James Potter."

"Why-?" – he looked at her and then at her hands, still behind her back – "Lily...what are you hidding behind-"

PLAF! He didn't finish his sentence, for she had just thrown a snowball right to his face. She started laughing.

- "I told you you were going to need help!" – she said pointing her finger at him, unable to stop laughing. She went over to him, flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.

- "You..." – he bent over and got a handful of snow.

She gave a little scream and still laughing started running towards the school. And like that, laughing and throwing snowballs at each other they went back to school, thinking that it had probably been the best day of their lives.


End file.
